PTBiz

[Ron Nossaman]

>What exactly does "shareware" mean.  I don't suppose it means it's now
>free--the program seems to still cost $330.00.
>
>David Love

Shareware never was free. It's just a try before you buy marketing concept, 
with a specified trial period, after which you are expected to either buy 
it, or abandon it. It operates on the premise that most people are 
essentially honest and reasonable. Sometimes, you get a crippled version 
with a limited number of entries, or no save capabilities until you 
register and pay for it. In some cases, the choice to buy or abandon is 
voluntary, with no penalty if you keep using the software without paying 
for it, even with a fully functional version. In other cases, various 
reasonably harmless annoyances and reminders kick in at the end of the 
trial period to let you know you should be paying for the continued use. 
Sometimes, the software simply quits working beyond the expiration date, 
and there have even been cases of unregistered software doing active damage 
to the system if it was used beyond the trial period.


Ron N