Shareware

Shareware is a marketing method for software, whereby a trial version is distributed without payment ahead of time as is common for proprietary software. Typically shareware software is obtained free of charge by downloading, thus allowing one to try out the program ahead of time. Shareware is also known as try before you buy, demoware, trialware and many other names. A shareware program is accompanied by a request for payment, and often payment is required per the terms of the license past a set period of time. The term shareware was coined by Bob Wallace to describe his word processor PC-Write in the mid-1980s.

Examples

Some big names that started as shareware are: Apogee Software (now 3D Realms) and id Software. They both offered games in the early 1990s via the shareware model. The first part of a trilogy was released as shareware and the other two parts as commercial games (delivered to the user when the shareware version was "registered" by paying for it). These games were cutting-edge software: Wolfenstein 3D is considered by many to be the first great first person shooter, to be later redefined by Doom (also shareware) and Quake (commercial game).

Related Topics:
Apogee Software - 3D Realms - Id Software - Games - 1990s - Wolfenstein 3D - First person shooter - Doom - Quake

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