What are the differences between the different *wares (shareware, freeware, etc.)?
Shareware is generally copyrighted software that is give out without a fee for evaluation and to raise awareness of the product (marketing, for instance). A fee is usually required to get full functionality from the product or to remove notices or advertising. Freeware is exactly that – fully-functional software that is given away without cost. Nagware blurs the line; it is sometimes shareware, sometimes freeware. The software is usually fully-functional, but it nags the user to register to pay to get additional functionality or to remove advertisements. Adware is malicious software installed on a user’s computer that displays advertisements while using the browser. These advertisements generate revenue of the advertiser, but are a source of annoyance to the user; additionally, the functions of the adware can interfere with the operations of the user’s computer. Adware can also have hidden functionality, making it spyware. Spyware is malicious software that obtains information from a u
