Thursday, 09 July 2009

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  WhatWare?
  
  If you're the type of person who only uses software that you bought in a store or that came installed on your computer, you can ignore the rest of this.
  
  If, on the other hand, you like downloading and installing software via the internet, then read on.
  
  There are thousands, if not millions, of software packages available online, but they don't all work the same way. You may have heard the terms "freeware," "shareware," etc., but don't know what they mean. Most of these terms are defined more specifically in places like Wikipedia, but the definitions below are the way they're used every day by regular users.
  
  

  Retailware ("Commercial Software"): This is what you buy in stores, or purchase online before downloading. Think Microsoft, Adobe, etc.
  

  
  

  Freeware: This is the opposite of Retailware. It doesn't cost any money to download or use the software with full capabilities. Examples include AVG Free, Glary Utilities, File Shredder, Launchy, PhotoME, RocketDock, etc.
  

  
  Some "freeware" is also Open Source.
  
  

  Openware ("Open Source Software"): Open Source software comes in various shades, but the most common definition is this: software that can be rewritten by users, to improve or change the application. In other words, its creators believe there's enough good will in the world that other people will help them make better software. The most successful examples of this so far are Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice, and the GIMP. These are also "freeware," in that they don't cost any money.
  

  
  

  Shareware: Some people confuse this with "freeware," because it doesn't cost anything. But it does. There's always a price. For instance, it'll expire after so many days ("trialware"), or some of the main features are disabled ("crippleware"), or there are advertisement programs installed along with the main program ("adware").
  

  
  Beware of websites offering "free software" because a lot of it is actually shareware. Check for the software's license. If it says "free," you're still not in the clear. Make sure it's not a trial program or crippled in some way.
  
  

  Malware ("Malicious Software"): Usually means harmful code like viruses or trojans, but also has come to mean dishonest adware, unwanted software, etc.
  

  
  Some have gone so far as to use "malware" for every day programs like QuickTime or GoogleDesktop, because they don't tell you the full story when you install them. They don't warn you that they're going to run "updater" programs every few minutes without asking you, or that indexing programs will max out your CPU within minutes. Technically, this isn't malware, because the software wasn't intended to cause specific harm.
  
  Perhaps this should be called "accident ware," because the applications cause harm/annoyance by accident.
  
  

  Spyware: software installed on computers with the intent of collecting information about the user or his/her browsing habits without his/her informed consent. Many have accused Microsoft or Google programs of being "spyware." But usually the term refers to software that was installed unintentionally or secretly.
  

  
  Despite the spread of bad software on the internet, I still recommend that people search out freeware or open source software, for many reasons. One, it's free! Two, it sometimes is better than retailware or at least less clunky. Three, sometimes you can't find software in the store that does what you want it to. But you can find freeware for just about anything.
  
  (If you already know all of this stuff, that's fine. I'm making a simple list for the average internet user who doesn't know this stuff. The main reason is, I searched the internet and couldn't find a simple list of these very common terms.)
  
  
  

  • 8:37 PM
  • 14 Views
  • 0 eProps
  • 2 Comments