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Aptiva-PS/1 - What is SHAREWARE, and why should I register it?
Applicable to: United States
Shareware is a concept through which the user can try out a program at no cost to see if it is suitable for his or her needs. So-called commercial software, found on the shelves of computer stores, do not allow this: if you buy it, you cannot return it, whether you have a use for it or not (a few dealers, though, are known to give a 'money-back-if-not-satisfied' guarantee, but these are very few and far between). Shareware can be downloaded from a BBS, online service, or the Internet, and there is usually no charge other than the cost of the call and possibly a charge for use of the BBS or service. If you order from a shareware distributor, there is a nominal charge for copying and distributing the program. While these programs can be copied and passed around, they are still copyrighted by the programmer, and (s)he is entitled to whatever payment (s)he seeks for them. You can use the program at no charge for a period determined by the programmer, usually thirty days. If, at the end of that time, you do not like the program, or feel that it does not meet your needs, then you simply erase the program; if you had ordered the program on a disk, then you may keep the disk, but delete the program. In any case, you are not supposed to use the program because of the copyright.
If the program is a 'keeper' and you want to continue to use it beyond the time period (usually 30 days), then you should register it with the programmer: information on how to do this is in a text file in the program--look for a file with the extension of .TXT (for text), or .DOC (for document), or .MAN for manual, or something similar for this information. Sometimes, the programmer will have made use of a menu on the disk, and you can access this information by pressing a number or letter.
Registration entitles you to use the program for your own use, and usually gives you added or enhanced features in the program, depending on the programmer and the program. You might get the latest version on disk, notices of updates, free updates, a newsletter, or a combination of some or all of the above. A big advantage to registering the program is that you are, in most cases, able to speak directly with the programmer, who is probably operating out of his home on a part-time basis. You can ask him detailed questions, or suggest a feature in the program that you would like to see added. Often, you can find a simple, short, and/or specialized program that fills a need that you can't find in one of the commercial products. Don't confuse shareware with 'public domain' or 'freeware' programs; these program's programmers have given up their claim of copyright for whatever reason.
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General Information | |
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Date Created |
23-04-96 | |
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Last Updated |
02-04-99 | |
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Revision Date |
01-08-99 | |
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Brand |
IBM Aptiva | |
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Product Family |
Aptiva, PS/1 | |
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Machine Type |
2134, 2136, 2137, 2138, 2140, 2142, 2144, 2159, 2161, 2162, 2168, 2176, 2011, 2121, 2123, 2133, 2155 | |
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