All over the Web, you can find software that's free or almost free. These types of software are called public domain software, shareware, and freeware. - Public domain software
is software that you can copy, distribute, and even modify
without obtain permission.
- Shareware
is software that you can "test drive" or "try before you
buy."
- Freeware
is software that is also public domain software, meaning that
you can use it as you wish free of charge.
Freeware and public domain software sound the same, don't
they? They actually are with one slight difference. Public domain
software was the first name created for free software that people
wanted to make available to anyone. When the term shareware was
coined to describe "try before you buy" software, freeware was
also coined to describe public domain software (Freeware sounds
sexier than public domain software.). However, with true public domain software you often get the
source code, allowing you change how the software works. You
often don't get the source code with freeware, so you may
not have the ability to change how it works. Below, we've listed just a few of the thousands of sites
that offer public domain software, shareware, and freeware. |
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education