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In The Beginning... In the summer of 1997 I didn't have Internet access, so my selection of Macintosh software was limited to what the one local Apple retailer had on their shelves. Every so often I would go to this retailer, who shall remain nameless, and look at the poorly stocked shelves in the tiny Macintosh section. One particular day I wanted a new game to play, so I went to the store and looked around. Duke Nukem 3D and Civilization II were the only games there. I already had both of those games, so, in my limited view of the Macintosh market, I already owned every game that existed. I could have gone home right then, taking pride in knowing that my game collection was complete, but I didn't want to give up so easily. I looked around as though I knew something had to be hidden somewhere on those shelves. Moving aside both games revealed a bare wall. The shelf above had a variety of tax software, word processors, and clip art galleries, and I had no use for any of it. I was about to admit defeat and go home, but then my foot bumped into something on the floor. After crouching down to take a look, I saw some rather curious boxes beneath the shelf. There were two different boxes on the floor; they were labeled Mac Cube 2 and Mac Cubed 3, and both were made by Aztech New Media Corp. I read the back of the boxes, and they each made some incredible claims about there being hundreds of applications inside including games, utilities, multimedia, and education software. A list on the back of either box displayed the names of dozens of games, and the whole thing only costed about $15! I spent a moment deciding between the two, and I ended up buying Mac Cubed 3. I went home and started playing with the games, but I kept seeing messages about registering the software. Little did I know, but I had just stumbled into the world of shareware.
Who Is This Fool? Perhaps I should introduce myself before I go on. My name is Rocco J. Carello, and, if you haven't figured it out yet, I will be writing the shareware column here at Mac OS Journal. Now I'll tell you something you don't already know, that is assuming that you knew that you were reading MOSJ. I'm a jack-of-all-trades: an apprentice of everything, but master of nothing. Most of my varied interests involve me hitting a keyboard and hoping something intelligent will come out. (You're reading my latest attempt using such a technique, so I'll let you be the judge of that.) Besides writing this shareware column, I am often found in front of a computer making web pages, writing computer programs, playing games, or doing homework. If you're thinking I'm just some nerd that sits in front of a computer all day, you're only partially right. I am a nerd, but I actually enjoy doing things that don't involve my fingers touching a keyboard. For example, I like to go hiking, which is an activity that involves walking and breathing at the same time. Anybody can do it! I really like to get outside on a nice day, no matter how much the keyboard misses me [Editor's Note: Someone give this man an iBook!]. Of course, today is not a nice day, and we won't have one up here again until April, so I better write some more about shareware.
What Is Shareware? There are lots of ways to describe shareware, so I'll start with the dictionary (Dictionary.com that is) definition: "shareware noun - Copyrighted software that is available free of charge on a trial basis, usually with the condition that users pay a fee for continued use and support." Suppose you are borrowing a CD from a friend. If you don't like the CD, you will probably give it back soon, or if you do like it, you will probably listen to it more. If you do continue to listen to the CD, your friend will call you every once in a while and ask, "Hey, can I have my CD back?" You'll give the CD back after your friend does this a couple dozen times, and you'll have to buy your own copy if you want to listen to it some more. Shareware works like that. You usually get the software off the Internet or from CD ROMs found in magazines, and you can use the software for free on a trial basis. From time to time, the software will say, "Hey, are you going to buy this software?" You are eventually expected to pay for it if you like it, or you should delete it if you don't like it much.
Limitations
Getting free software sounds too good to be true, and it is. Shareware generally has limitations to encourage people to buy the software. I'll describe some of the common limitations used. No Limitations: Some shareware has no limitations, and when you download it, you are getting the full version of the software. Some shareware with no limitation will ask you for money on the startup screen or in a readme file, but this is relying on the honor system. Other shareware, known as freeware, has no limitation, and is actually meant to be free. Annoyance: This limitation does not limit what the software can do, but it makes every attempt to frustrate you by frequently popping up little messages saying things like, "Register this software for $15," or, "Yo momma so poor, she registers shareware with food stamps." Usually this type of shareware promises that registered users will get a password to make the annoying messages go away. Feature Limited: Feature Limited shareware will have some features removed until you pay to register it. Usually, the basic functionality of the software will be intact, but some useful features an advanced user might want will be missing. Time-Limited: Some shareware has a time limit that will expire. It is usually either a number of days or a number of uses. After the time limit expires, you will lose most, if not all, of the software's functionality, and you will be reimided to register it if you wish to continue using it. Disk: Other shareware is just a demonstration of a product, and to get the full version, you order the software on CD. This method is most often used with demos for games, but it is used for other types of software as well.
What Good is Shareware? Shareware is beneficial to all parties involved. It is beneficial to the end-users because they are able to try out new software before spending any money. It also costs less than retail software, and it doesn't clutter your home or office with large flashy boxes. Shareware is also beneficial to the developers who spend countless hours writing the software because they are able to keep most of the profits. Most of the profits from retail software instead goes to the retailers, distributors, and publishers, and very little actually goes to the developers who do the hardest work [Editor's Note: Hmm... sounds like the music recording industry.].
The Moral of the Story Many people eventually discover that they don't need to register shareware if it uses the annoyance limitation or has none at all. I'll tell you right now, you won't get in trouble for doing that. A SWAT team will not kick down your door and examine the contents of your hard drive if you are using unregistered shareware. If a SWAT team does kick down your door for other reasons, they won't care about unregistered shareware either. The point is, you will not get in trouble in any way. So, why register? The only real reason to register shareware is because it's the right thing to do. Shareware, like all software, is written by people, and they deserve something for all the hard work they put into it. Also, most shareware is relatively inexpensive, and sending money may encourage shareware authors to write newer and better shareware for the Macintosh in the future. If you don't send any money, they may be stuck flipping burgers until they are 60. Wouldn't that make you feel guilty?
The Future By now, you should all have a decent idea of the shareware concept. In the future, I will be focusing on specific shareware applications from different companies and in different genres. Until then, here are a couple places you can go to find shareware: http://download.cnet.com I hope you all have a better concept of all that is involved in shareware now. I look forward to upcoming columns where I can share some great software with you all. You're all welcome to email me for any reason you can think of, even if it's just to tell me that my pants are on fire. It may sound like a simple thing to do, but I would greatly appreciate it. Of course, you can use this handy dandy feedback form too. Have a good month everybody!
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