Fun With Freeware 1

WHAT IS POSTCARDWARE?

The following is a taken from http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?postcardware 
For more information you can visit that site but the crux of the message is:

"PostcardWare is Shareware that borders on freeware, in that the author requests only that satisfied users send a postcard of their home town or something."

WHAT IS DONATIONWARE?

Some authors feel that they have earned sufficient money to enable them to be generous with their software. You are asked to make a donation to whatever charity you please or a specific type of charity (e.g. one that helps children) if you become a regular user of the program in question. It is not a legally binding condition and most donationware authors would be sad if you stopped using their software because you could not afford to send a donation to a charity, but only if through genuine hardship on your own part. You have to live with yourself, so it is up to you to do the right thing if you are able to.

WHAT IS SHAREWARE?

Shareware is Software distributed on a trial basis, issued on the honour system. If you use it regularly, you're required to register and pay for it. You are then entitled to expect technical support and, in some cases, additional documentation or an upgrade. Paid licenses are required for commercial distribution.
There are vast numbers of shareware programs. They vary in quality from dreadful to wonderful, some fantastic, some awful. Shareware vendors compile catalogs with hundreds and thousands of products and sell them by mail or at shows for a small fee. That fee is often misunderstood. It is not the registration fee, rather it is the fee for distributing the shareware to you. There is no shareware in this collection (unless any individual author has altered the terms of availability of an application since this was put together), although one or two of the programs include the offer of 'upgrades' to shareware versions.

WHAT IS CORPORATE FREEWARE?

Commercial software companies create freeware versions of their products for various reasons. In some cases, it is a way of getting feedback from the public before finalising the payware product. Some corporate freeware is designed to give potential clients for their other products a taste of what is possible with the full version of the same product and some is complete in itself, or 'full' as it is termed, designed to impress the potential client with the company's prowess as software designers and encourage them to learn more about the commercial products on offer from the company.

Although a small proportion of the freeware included in this collection comes from software corporations that hope to impress you enough to persuade you to purchase updates or other products from them, it has been included because it is useful as it stands, no independent freeware could be found that served the same purpose, it is worth having in itself and it does not contain annoying nags designed to browbeat you into buying something . One or two of the programs remind you that you can only achieve certain things with the Pro version that you are attempting with the freeware one but you soon learn what is possible and what is not, and thus avoid seeing the nags any more whilst still enjoying the things the freeware version can do.

Many of the programs in this collection can be upgraded in the future, for free, on the websites of the individual authors, where upgrading is necessary. The few that are from corporations work adequately for domestic purposes and you will not be obligated to purchase anything just because you use, and register the fact that you are using, the company's freeware.

funware@linnetwoods.com

All freeware programs and services listed on Honor Mission's Fun With Freeware site at linnetwoods.com are the sole property of their respective authors. All other materials and items are copyright © 1999-2009 Honor Mission and Linnet Woods.

Legal Page