Shareware

Overview

Shareware is a method used in marketing.  Shareware is not software as many people may think.  Retail stores make consumers pay for all products including software so they can make a profit.  In shareware you are able to download products and try them out before you purchase them.  Shareware is the same software that you find in stores, catalogs and on line retail as well. 

History of Shareware

Freeware Starts

When shareware was first introduced in 1982 it was known as Freeware, but that was not a good name because it was not really free.  Consumers were allowed to copy the programs but the founders, Andrew Fluegleman and Jim Knopf, asked everyone to send donations to help fund the program because they did not want to spend the time and money to put their programs into retail stores.  The disadvantage of the freeware program was that in depth programmers came out with sophisticated versions of the old program and marketed their versions.  While the consumers did this Fluegleman and Knopf’s market flopped. 

Shareware is Developed

Because Flueglman and Knopf had copyrighted the name Freeware, Nelson Ford decided to name his shareable software shareware.  This name was found because Ford had a contest in the local newspaper asking someone to rename Freeware. 

Internet's Impact On Shareware

Online services like Compuserve and America On Line never seemed to have any impact on shareware distributors.  Given the slow modems and higher online costs of the 1980's, it was cheaper and easier to get shareware on diskettes.  But the combination of cheap high-speed modems and even cheaper Internet access has caused a significant impact on shareware. Even though the Internet is not totally free most ISPs only charge $10 - $20 a month for unlimited access on the Internet.  Some former disk-based shareware distributors have tried to sell shareware on the Web; they are competing with popular sites that distribute the same programs that charge nothing for access. The free sites hope to make money from the advertising on their sites. (http://www.pslweb.com/history.htm)

Shareware Authors

Shareware authors are programmers that use shareware as a source of marketing and testing their programs to the general public.

Advantages of Shareware Authors

Association of Shareware Professionsals (http://www/asp-shareware.org/1-faq.asp)