Shareware is a marketing method for commercial software, whereby a trial version is distributed in advance and without payment, as is common for proprietary software. Shareware software is typically obtained free of charge, either by downloading from the Internet or on magazine cover-disks. A user tries out the program, and thus shareware has also been known as "try before you buy", demoware, trialware and by many other names. A shareware program is accompanied by a request for payment, and the software's distribution license often requires such a payment. Payment is often required once a set period of time has elapsed after installation. The term shareware was coined by Bob Wallace to describe his word processor PC-Write in the mid-1980s.

History

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Wallace came up with the name that stuck, but many consider the "fathers" of the shareware marketing model to be Jim Button and Andrew Fluegelman. Their coordinated offerings of PC-File (database) and PC-Talk (telecommunications) programs, respectively, pre-dated PC-Write by several months. Button referred to his distribution method as "user supported software," and Fluegelman called his "freeware." Among the three of them, they clearly established shareware as a viable software marketing method. Via the shareware model, PC-File and PC-Talk made Button and Fluegelman millionaires.

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JumpBox for the Foswiki Wiki System 1.1.3 (Shareware) http://bit.ly/nIBsb
softpediacom (Softpedia Software ) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:09:37 -0000
JumpBox for the Foswiki Wiki System 1.1.3 (Shareware) http://bit.ly/nIBsb
JumpBox for Trac/Subversion Software Project Management 1.1.13 (Shareware) http://bit.ly/4WJypv
softpediacom (Softpedia Software ) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:09:36 -0000
JumpBox for Trac/Subversion Software Project Management 1.1.13 (Shareware) http://bit.ly/4WJypv
Accent EXCEL Password Recovery 3.00: Type: Shareware Cost: $25 Size: 945.71 kB Release date: 01 Dec 2009 .. http://tinyurl.com/yjoh8l2
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:59:14 -0000
Accent EXCEL Password Recovery 3.00: Type: Shareware Cost: $25 Size: 945.71 kB Release date: 01 Dec 2009 .. http://tinyurl.com/yjoh8l2
!$ Free Spyware Adware Scanner and Remover 3.0.1: Type: Shareware Cost: $29.95 Size: 4.97 MB Release date:.. http://tinyurl.com/ylksaln
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:59:11 -0000
!$ Free Spyware Adware Scanner and Remover 3.0.1: Type: Shareware Cost: $29.95 Size: 4.97 MB Release date:.. http://tinyurl.com/ylksaln
AXIGEN Mail Server Business Edition 7.3.0: Type: Shareware Cost: $385 Size: 30.30 MB Release date: 03 Dec .. http://tinyurl.com/yhgmt6y
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:59:08 -0000
AXIGEN Mail Server Business Edition 7.3.0: Type: Shareware Cost: $385 Size: 30.30 MB Release date: 03 Dec .. http://tinyurl.com/yhgmt6y
!$ Error Scan and Fix 3.0.5: Type: Shareware Cost: $29.95 Size: 3.09 MB Release date: 30 May 2006 Platfo.. http://tinyurl.com/y9mgsa6
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:59:05 -0000
!$ Error Scan and Fix 3.0.5: Type: Shareware Cost: $29.95 Size: 3.09 MB Release date: 30 May 2006 Platfo.. http://tinyurl.com/y9mgsa6

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