Q: What is shareware?

A: Shareware is a marketing method, not a type of software. Unlike software
marketed through normal retail channels, where you are forced to pay for the
product before you've even seen it, the shareware marketing method lets you
try program for a period of time before you buy it. Since you've tried a
shareware program, you know whether it will meet your needs before you pay
for it. Shareware programs are just like programs you find in major stores,
catalogs, and other places where people purchase software -- except you get
to use them, on your own computer, before paying for them. 

Q: What happens if I like a shareware program?

A: You pay for it at the end of a trial period (typically 30 days) by
sending the author a fee he or she has established for the program.

Q: Why should I pay for and register a shareware program?

A: The same reason you should pay for any program: because it is the honest
thing to do. Shareware is commercial software, fully protected by copyright
laws. Like other business owners, shareware authors expect to earn money for
making their programs available. Paying for and registering a program also
entitles you to support from the author and other benefits, as specified by
the author. Moreover, the more consumers who pay an author to use a program,
the more likely the author will continue to improve it and to offer new
programs.

Q: How do shareware programs compare with other kinds of software?

A: Consumers who purchase shareware programs receive a level of product
support that exceeds what traditional software manufacturers deliver.
Shareware users who need support often speak directly to the actual
developer of the program, who is intimately familiar with how it operates
and therefore can provide excellent technical support. Shareware authors
often fix bugs in programs and add features quickly, based on feedback from
users.

There is a wide price range for shareware, as there is with software
distributed through other channels. In general, many shareware programs cost
less than other kinds of software, while some programs cost about the same
as retail counterparts. 

Q: What do I receive when I pay for a shareware program, besides the use of
   the program?

A: Typically, the same things you receive when you pay for other software:
support by telephone, fax, internet, computer bulletin board, and/or online
services such as America Online, CompuServe, and Microsoft Network. Many
authors also send manuals, reference cards, and other printed materials, and
may offer free upgrades. Every shareware program is different, so the
version you purchase comes with different materials. Documentation files
included with the program describe the benefits you receive by paying for
and registering a particular shareware program. 

Q: What happens if I don't like a shareware program?

A: You simply stop using the program, and remove it from your system. Since
you have had the opportunity to try the program first before paying for it,
you lose only the tiny amount of money you spent to download the program or
to acquire it from a vendor or other source.

Q: I ordered a shareware program from a catalog and paid for the disk. Why
should I pay more now?

A: Shareware vendors distribute shareware versions of programs, charging a
small fee for the costs of disk duplication and advertising, plus a small
profit. Most shareware authors allow this type of distribution so you'll
have a chance to try their programs. However, none of the money paid to a
shareware vendor goes to the author. If you try a shareware program, then
continue to use it after the trial period, you must pay for and register the
program. The same principal applies if you buy a shareware disk at a
computer show or find a shareware program on a CD-ROM disc or at a store.

Q: What types of shareware are available?

A: All types, including games, word processing, real estate, personal
finance, graphics, education, utilities, and host of others. Chances are
that if you're looking for a program to perform a certain task, it's
available as shareware. The lower costs of creating and distributing
shareware programs allows developers to take risks in creating a wider
variety of products than is available through traditional software marketing
channels.

In general, shareware authors offer four types of programs: those whose
capabilities parallel software available in retail stores, but which are
considerably less expensive; those which enhance or extend capabilities
incorporated in popular software programs; those that perform functions that
cannot be found in software sold in retail stores; and those that offer a
radical new approach to performing a task.

Q: How can I learn more about specific shareware programs?

A: Try different programs! The beauty of shareware is that you can actually
test a program's features before paying for it.

Other than trying shareware programs, word of mouth is an excellent source
of information. As part of their software copyright, shareware authors
encourage users to give copies of their programs to others to evaluate.
Friends and colleagues help advertise a particular program when they pass it
along to you. Your local computer user's group is also a rich source of
information about shareware programs.

Many computer magazines also review shareware programs. Many of these
programs have been picked as the best in their class against software
available at retail stores.

Q: Does using shareware increase the chances of introducing a virus into my
   computer?

A: The shareware industry has an excellent track record in providing
products that have been checked thoroughly for viruses. Shareware authors,
bulletin board sysops, online service operators, as well as disk vendors,
carefully scan programs for viruses before offering them to consumers.

In fact, there have been many cases of viruses spread through shrink-wrapped
software purchased in stores. So downloading a shareware program from the
internet or an online service is probably safer than buying a disk in a
store.

Q: Where can I find shareware?

A: Shareware can be found on BBSs, online services such as America Online,
CompuServe, Microsoft Network, the Internet, as well as in catalogs
published by shareware vendors.

Programs can be downloaded directly from different areas on these online
services, which include special sections and searching tools to help
consumers locate specific shareware programs. For example, CompuServe users
can GO PCFF (for PC shareware) or GO MACFF (for Macintosh shareware) to
search for programs by keyword. America Online users can use the keyword
QUICKFIND to search for programs. Every online service and BBS offers
similar tools to help you find the shareware programs you need.

On the Internet, many World Wide Web sites offer excellent tools for
locating and downloading shareware programs. The Association of Shareware
Professionals has a large link list of sites where you can find software on
the internet.

Computer user groups throughout the U.S. also offer libraries of shareware
titles to members. You can even find shareware programs for sale in local
computer stores, department stores, discount outlets, and even in
supermarkets.

Q: Why do software developers choose to market their programs through the
shareware channel?

A: Shareware is an efficient way to run a software business. Authors do not
spend nearly as much money marketing, packaging, and advertising their
products as do developers of software sold through traditional channels.
Lower costs means shareware authors can concentrate on writing great
programs, while often charging users less. 

Shareware authors also retain complete control over their programs -- a
powerful incentive to programmers who have developed products from the
beginning, and would rather see their fate determined by technical, rather
than marketing, considerations. Shareware authors recognize that their
programs have to be good. If they're not, consumers simply won't buy them.

IBM and Microsoft are just two of the software companies that have
recognized these benefits of the shareware channel, as both have distributed
"try before you buy" versions of products within the last year. Netscape
also is marketed as shareware.

Q: What is the Association of Shareware Professionals, and how does it
benefit me as a consumer?

A: The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) is an international
trade organization comprised of over 1000 shareware authors, publishers,
vendors, and online service providers. Its members agree to uphold high
standards of professionalism and to always deal fairly and courteously with
their customers. The ASP logo on a shareware product means that product has
been produced by an ASP member. In addition, the ASP maintains an Ombudsman
service, which can help customers resolve any problems with ASP members.

Copyright © 1995-1997 by the Association of Shareware Profesionals; All
Rights Reserved.  The above material may be reproduced freely so long as it
is unmodified, and the original source is acknowledged.