My favorite site for downloading free software is The ZDNet Download Site. This Web site not only describes and rates the software, but it also allows you to search for software by type. At the top of the ZDNet page, you will see three categories: What’s New, Most Popular, and Free. While the first two categories are fun to peruse, if you are looking for really free software with no strings attached, the last area is the one you will want to visit.
One of the reasons that I like the ZDNet site is that all of the programs in their free area are actually free. You see, on the Internet you can find lots of “free” pop-up calendars, screensavers, financial templates, and all sorts of goodies. The problem is that sometimes these programs are advertised as free to download but are not necessarily free to keep. There are basically five types of so-called free software available for download from the Internet.
1. Public Domain Software - This is a program that you can copy freely without any fee involved. It has no copyright restrictions, so you can copy, modify, and even sell it.
2. Freeware - This is another type of free software. You can copy it and use it freely, but it is copyrighted so you cannot sell it as your own.
3. Beta Software - This is a type of software that is essentially free but comes with strings attached. When a company develops a new program or a new version of an old program, it goes through a period of testing. The first testing phase, called alpha testing, is done in-house. During this phase, the software developers and others use the program within their company. They make changes and improvements. When the program is released for testing in the real world, this is called beta testing. During beta testing the program is given to a certain number of everyday computer users, who will help the company find the bugs (problems with the program) and will report the bugs to the company. With the popularity of the Internet, many companies have opened their beta testing to anyone who would like to try the program. Beware! While some beta software is stable, other beta programs are bug-infested. Beta software can have a devastating effect on your computer system. It is a good rule of thumb to stay away from all beta software unless you are experienced at repairing your computer’s inner workings.
4. Demo Software - A demo program is often a retail-type program like those found in a computer store. Demos are generally fully functioning programs that are only usable for a certain period of time. Sometimes demo programs have disabled features. For example, a word processing program may seem fully functioning yet the printing capabilities will be disabled. This will allow you to try the program but force you to purchase the full version if you want to print.
5. Shareware - Shareware is a very popular type of software that is available for downloading from the Internet. Shareware is “try before you buy” software based on a unique concept. Someone creates a program, puts it on the Internet, and allows anyone to copy it and use it. If the end-user likes the program, he or she pays the creator a fee. If the end-user doesn’t like the program, they simply delete it from their computer. Because software developers have no advertising, shipping, or packaging costs, shareware is relatively inexpensive. The concept works quite well, except, of course, that such an honor system will always have its abusers. So, some software developers have implemented gentle, or at times, not-so-gentle ways to remind people to pay for the program. You are usually given thirty days to try a shareware program. If you have not paid your fee after this trial period, the program gives you gentle payment reminders. Whenever you use the program, a small pop-up window called a nag screen will appear reminding you to pay. Or a scrolling bar with a payment reminder will appear on your screen. In some cases, these nagging reminders start to appear more frequently and become so aggravating that the user is forced to either pay the fee or stop using the program. Some shareware programs have built-in timing mechanisms that will completely disable the program if the user has not paid the fee at the end of the trial period. Although these practices have become quite common, you may also find shareware programs that will keep on working forever without any reminders for payment. If that is the case, remember to send in your payment. Honesty is important to keep this system working.
Now that you know what type of software you are downloading, I’ll give you a few more good download sites:
Tucows www.tucows.com Over 30,000 titles and reviews
Nonags http://nonags.com A collection of no nag, no time limit, no disabled features software
PCWorld http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/ A good collection of no-nonsense software
Happy downloading.
