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Freeware



 
 
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee. Freeware is different from shareware
Shareware

The term shareware, popularized by Bob Wallace, refers to copyrighted commercial software that is distributed without payment on a trial basis and is limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience....
; the latter obliges the user to pay (e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality).

term freeware was coined by Andrew Fluegelman
Andrew Fluegelman

Andrew Cardozo Fluegelman was a publisher, programmer and Lawyer best known as the inventor of what is now known as the shareware business model for software marketing....
 when he wanted to sell a communications program named PC-Talk
PC-Talk

PC-Talk was a communications software program. It was one of the first three widely popular software products sold via the marketing method that became known as shareware. It was originally written by Andrew Fluegelman, in late 1982....
 that he had created but for which he did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost.






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Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee. Freeware is different from shareware
Shareware

The term shareware, popularized by Bob Wallace, refers to copyrighted commercial software that is distributed without payment on a trial basis and is limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience....
; the latter obliges the user to pay (e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality).

History

The term freeware was coined by Andrew Fluegelman
Andrew Fluegelman

Andrew Cardozo Fluegelman was a publisher, programmer and Lawyer best known as the inventor of what is now known as the shareware business model for software marketing....
 when he wanted to sell a communications program named PC-Talk
PC-Talk

PC-Talk was a communications software program. It was one of the first three widely popular software products sold via the marketing method that became known as shareware. It was originally written by Andrew Fluegelman, in late 1982....
 that he had created but for which he did not wish to use traditional methods of distribution because of their cost. Fluegelman actually distributed PC-Talk via a process now referred to as shareware
Shareware

The term shareware, popularized by Bob Wallace, refers to copyrighted commercial software that is distributed without payment on a trial basis and is limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience....
. Current use of the term freeware does not necessarily match the original concept by Andrew Fluegelman.

Criteria

The only criterion for being classified as freeware is that the software must be fully functional for an unlimited time with no cost, monetary or otherwise. The software license may impose restrictions on the type of use including personal use, individual use, non-profit use, non-commercial use, academic use, commercial use or any combination of these. For instance, the license may be "free for personal, non-commercial use".

See also

  • List of freeware games
    List of freeware games

    This is a list of freeware video games implemented as traditional executable files that must be downloaded and installed. It excludes the multitude of online freeware games created with Adobe Flash and similar products....
  • List of commercial games released as freeware
    List of commercial games released as freeware

    Commercial games released as freeware are games that, in their original license, were not considered freeware, but were re-released at a later date with a freeware license, sometimes as publicity for a forthcoming sequel or compilation release....
  • Gratis versus Libre
    Gratis versus Libre

    Gratis versus libre is the distinction between "for zero price" and "freedom" . wiktionary:gratis appears in many English dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary....
  • Creative Commons licenses


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