What are shareware, freeware, and public domain programs?
Shareware software is distributed at low (or sometimes no) cost, but usually requires payment and registration for full legal use. Copies are distributed on a trial basis. You are free to test the software, see if it matches your needs, and decide whether it’s a good value. Order forms or advertisements included in the program or on the distribution disk usually tell you how to register the program and what fee is required. Registered users of a shareware program will typically receive a printed manual, an updated copy of the software, often with additional features, and the legal right to use the program in their home or business. Shareware is not free software, since authors of shareware programs expect payment from those who intend to use the programs regularly. However, it does have the advantage over standard commercial software that you may thoroughly test a program to see if it’s useful before making a purchase. Shareware is generally written by individuals or small companies, a
