Freeware, shareware, public domain
One of the best things about the Internet is the amount of free software which you can access and download for no more than the price of a local phone call. From popular games to screensavers and helpful utilities, it's incredibly easy to find something to make your life easier and put it on your PC.
Broadly speaking, there are three types of free software which you can download: Freeware, Shareware, and Public Domain. Freeware is software which is available free to use indefinitely with no fee (the best example of freeware is Internet Explorer). Shareware is generally software which you can download free of charge, but if you want to use it any longer than a certain period of time (generally 30 days) or take advantage of further features and updates you'll have to register. The third kind of free software, Public Domain, can also be used by anyone for any reason without restriction. The main difference between this and freeware is that Public Domain software has no copyright at all, while whoever wrote the freeware retains the copyright.
This card helps you to find the best free software on the Internet, as well as explaining the terms, concepts and legal issues behind free software on the Internet.
CENTRE SPREAD
Once you start looking for free software you'll quickly find yourself spoilt for choice. There are a huge number of websites that you can use to download all sorts of free software - the trick is finding the best ones.
Some of the best sites for free software include Dave Central (www.davecentral.com), WinFiles (www.winfiles.com) and ZDNet Downloads (www.zdnet.com/downloads/). All contain a large number of reliable downloads as well as reviews and recommendations.
But of course the biggest question is: why make software free in the first place? Well, generally in order to encourage people to use it and become familiar with it. That way people are more likely to pay for better versions of the same software, updates, or other products by the same company. You may not get something for nothing, but you can come pretty close!
And once you've downloaded a few files yourself you may want to put them on your own site for people to download. Of course, if you start doing this there are a few legal issues to consider, and you should read the notes that come with the program - or contact the author - to find out if this is allowed. When all is said and done the best course of action to follow is generally to simply provide a link to the author's site itself. This is what big sites such as Download.com do, and at the end of the day the service is likely to be much better for the person downloading.
Download.com
Download.com is well designed and stocked with a huge number of downloads. Each download also includes reviews - so you can find out whether it's worth spending the time downloading it.
- Go to Download.com (www.download.com) and look at the types of software you can choose from. Click on the category you're interested in - or, if you're looking for something specific, type in your criteria in the box marked 'Download Quick Search' and click 'Go!'. There are also links to the most 'Popular Downloads', 'New Releases', or Download'com's own picks.
- Keep choosing categories until you get to a list of files which you can download. Each of these will include a short description, whether it is free or not, a rating, the file size, and so on. Click on the software you want to download.
- Click 'Download Now'. The download process will begin. Select 'save to disk', click 'OK', choose a place to save the file, and click 'Save'.
- The download will now begin. Depending on the size of the file being downloaded and the speed of your connection, this can take anything from a minute or so to over an hour. The download progress box which is displayed throughout the download will give you some indication of the time it is expected to take - but don't get too worried as this will fluctuate significantly as the speed of the connection changes.
BACK PAGE: Q&As
Q: Although my demo copy says I can only use it for 30 days, I am now on Day 45 and still using it. Should I keep using it?
A: It sounds like the demo you are using has failed to 'expire'. This isn't a problem for you - in fact, it means you're lucky enough to keep using it without paying, should you want to.
Q: What if I decide not to pay for shareware?
A: Depending on the software you have downloaded, you will not be able to use it after a certain period, or you will just have to put up with the limited features of the shareware version. If you are lucky enough to be using shareware that only asks for payment out of the goodness of your heart, then the only problem you have to deal with is your guilt!
Q: What if I want to send the program I've downloaded to someone else?
A: If software is available for download for free then it's available for anyone, as long as you credit the original author. However, if you try to sell it to someone else, then that is illegal, and you could be prosecuted for it.
JARGON BUSTER
- Operating System
- The software which your computer uses to run programs, etc. The best-known operating system is Windows 98. You can find out what operating system your computer has by clicking on the Start button at the bottom left corner of your screen. On the menu that pops up the title of the operating system should be along the left hand side.
- Download
- The process of obtaining files from the Internet. By downloading a file you are transferring it from a computer somewhere else to your own, through your phone line. The further away the other computer, the longer it can take.
- Update
- An update is an extra download which adds new features to your software, corrects any 'bugs' or mistakes in the version which you have, and generally brings the whole thing up to date.
- Executable File
- An executable file is one which opens itself - you do not need any additional software to open it.
- Zipped File
- In order to make files quicker to download, they are sometimes 'zipped' (made smaller by compression). You can 'unzip' them using software such as WinZip.
TROUBLESHOOTER
You can't open the file you've downloaded
The most common reason for not being able to open (decompress) a downloaded file is because you don't have the right decompression software. One of the most popular decompression utilities is WinZip - this can be downloaded itself by visiting their website (www.winzip.com). However, make sure you choose the free version (there is also a 'full' version which costs to buy). Once you've downloaded WinZip it opens itself, and you can now use it to decompress any 'Zipped' (decompressed) files.
GOOD IDEAS
Think what sort of software you need before you go online and it will take less time finding it.
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INSTANT EXPERT
Getting the quickest download
To get the quickest download make sure you close down any programs that are open - but keep the Internet connection open. This means your computer will be able to use all its resources and the whole of the phone line without any interference. It is also worth downloading during the weekend - not only are phone costs the cheapest, but the Internet is also at its least busy, as people are not at work.