Freeware, Shareware, and Commercial Software - Learn the difference.

The internet is loaded with tons of available software that is now accessible with just a few clicks of a mouse button. However deciding which software is right for you can be confusing with the enormous amounts of software and it's counterpart variations flooding the net. This guide will hopefully help you identify the different variations of software and allow you to make decisions based on that information.

First off software to an extent is an intangible item which can not be physically touched or held such as your virus scanner or your chat program and even your operating system. Sure you can physically touch the discs that hold the software but thats the extent of it.

You will find that software is usually categorized into three major groups and they are Freeware, Shareware and Paid or Commercial software. Let's take a look at the difference shall we:

Freeware software is any software that is usually released under a GNU (General Public License) that allows programmers to not only share their code but allow others to modify it and redistribute it as well. Freeware software does not cost any money and most cases does not contain links to buy a registered key or license. Freeware programs will usually have no expiration unless the developer decides to quit producing or decides there wasn't enough support for the program. You may see on a Freeware program a link asking for a donation but are not obligated to reciprocate. This is a nicety though of the programmer who has shared his program with the world and if you do find his/her program to be useful even a little bit of a donation will go a long way. Remember Freeware is free, that means it costs no money, often has no expiration and you can freely distribute it and use it however you like. A great example of this would be linux which is a freely distribute operating system and open sourced so others can continue to code and improve on it.

Shareware software is trial software that is usually proprietary and only available for a certain amount of time. Many people confuse freeware with shareware but there is a big difference here. Shareware software is free to download and allows you to use the program as if you had purchased it for a set amount of days. Many shareware programs will allow you to use them for roughly 30 to 60 days with all the features available. Once your time trial has expired shareware software then will either lock the program or disable the full features until you purchase the program in full. Shareware programs also usually limit the amount of times you can try a program on your computer so if you try un-installing and then reinstalling the same program to get past the expiration lock-out you may encounter counter measures to prevent such a thing. Shareware software also usually contains a link built into the program for immediate purchase should you decide the program is right for you.

Commercial or paid software is software that you have paid for in full and allows you to download the unlocked full version. You will often see this type of software with special registrations or certain licensures allowing you to use it for a specific machine or for more than one computer. Paid software does not contain an expiration. That being said there is always an exception to the rule. There is paid software where you own the software but you are only leasing the registration key and have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription. Failure to keep your subscription up to date may disable your software or not allow it to work to it's full potential. Not all paid software requires subscriptions but when making your purchase be sure to read the details in full.

If you are looking for some good sources for freeware I highly recommend:http://www.thefreecountry.com/

If you prefer the shareware software then checkout CNETs' downloadable center at:http://download.cnet.com/windows/

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