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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Best Cat Name 1.01: Type: Shareware Cost: $9.95 Size: 781.49 kB Release date: 11 Dec 2009 Platform: WinX.. http://tinyurl.com/ylya56m
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:56:02 -0000
Best Cat Name 1.01: Type: Shareware Cost: $9.95 Size: 781.49 kB Release date: 11 Dec 2009 Platform: WinX.. http://tinyurl.com/ylya56m
Xlinksoft Apple TV Converter 2009.12.02: Type: Shareware Cost: $16.47 Size: 16.61 MB Release date: 10 Dec .. http://tinyurl.com/yey3258
gidoctor (windows7downloads) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:55:59 -0000
Xlinksoft Apple TV Converter 2009.12.02: Type: Shareware Cost: $16.47 Size: 16.61 MB Release date: 10 Dec .. http://tinyurl.com/yey3258
Trying spaz client for twitter.so many of them.i like tweetie but its a shareware.bugging me to buy.
jadespies (rajesh) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:34:22 -0000
Trying spaz client for twitter.so many of them.i like tweetie but its a shareware.bugging me to buy.
Checking out freeware/shareware options for sending out HTML Newsletters on Mac. So many apps available!
iphonefresh (Amit Bhowmik) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:19:45 -0000
Checking out freeware/shareware options for sending out HTML Newsletters on Mac. So many apps available!
Web Programming: Best shareware program activation options http://forum.techgle.com/showthread.php?t=14130
techgle (Techgle) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:49:02 -0000
Web Programming: Best shareware program activation options http://forum.techgle.com/showthread.php?t=14130
Wow! @TheRealCliffyB is on Twitter! This is the guy who made Jazz Jackrabbit! One of the best shareware arcade games ever!
BrentNewhall (Brent Newhall) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:13:52 -0000
Wow! @TheRealCliffyB is on Twitter! This is the guy who made Jazz Jackrabbit! One of the best shareware arcade games ever!

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