Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is provided to users for free for a limited trial period. During the 1980s, Bob Wallace produced the first major shareware product called PC-Write. Shareware is typically lower cost than purchased software, ranging from $1 to $500 depending on the size and functionality, and provides users a way to try software before paying for it. The main differences between shareware and open source software are that shareware maintains the developer's proprietary rights and does not make its source code available while open source involves public availability of source code and a community of developers.

1. Shareware
Bayar F. AbdulJabbar

2. Contents
▪ What is it?
▪ When was it born?
▪ How costly are they?
▪ Differences
▪ Benefits

3. What is shareware?
▪ A type of proprietary (‫)مملوك‬ software and is provided to users for a
limited time.
▪ The developer provides either the full version or enables some
certain features.
▪ After the trial period has passed, the program may stop running until
a license is purchased, or run with limitations. Shareware is often
offered without support or updates which only become available with
the purchase of a license.

4. History
▪ During the 1980s, Bob Wallace produced PC-Write, a word processor,
and called it shareware.
▪ Wallace said that he got the term from an InfoWorld magazine by
that name in the 1970s, and that he considered the name to be
generic, so its use became established over freeware and user-
supported software.
▪ Before the Internet, they were being distributed via discs, the only
way for developers to sell their software. But as the internet grew, a
large number of users turned to downloading shareware from FTP or
websites.This marked as the end of disk distributors.

5. Cost
▪ The real cost depends on the
size and implementation of the
given shareware.
▪ The bigger and more functional
the software is, the costlier it
becomes.
▪ Mainly ranges from $1 and up
to $500.
▪ Some are even more costly,
AutodeskAutoCAD costs about
$1699
▪ Methods for paying are via
PayPal,Visa and MasterCard,
or via transfer of phone prepaid
credit, or any other way.
▪ Please visit this site to know
more about the criteria for free
software: https://cost-of-
free.wikispaces.com/Evaluatio
n+Criteria+and+Template+for+
Free+Software

6. Differences
Open Source
• Source code:
o Available to public
o Modifiable
o May be
redistributed
• Community of
developers
• Free
• Support can be
community based or
paid.
Shareware
• Free for limited/trial
period
• Developer owns rights
• Source Code not
available
• No collaborative
community
• Payment often required

7. Benefits
• Try it before you buy.
• Better support, you can often communicate
directly with the developer.
• A way for living for many people, making software
and selling them.
• For developers, marketing via the shareware
method is far less expensive than traditional
advertising.