The word "freeware" was coined by Richard Stallman in 1983 when he began developing GNU (GNU's Not Unix) because he wanted a name for his new operating system that wasn't so closely associated with UNIX. He chose this name because he didn't want people to associate it with the then popular Microsoft DOS operating systems. In fact, he was already using the term before he even wrote a line of code!
A few years later, Richard Minsky came up with another definition for the term freeware. According to him, freeware should be defined as "software that is available to all for virtually nothing." This definition means that there is no limit on the amount of time one could spend playing around with the program. It also implies that there is no cost involved either - unless one wants to pay to upgrade their version. A lot of programs fall into this category, such as Internet browsers like Firefox, OpenOffice, etc. But some others aren't exactly free. For example, Adobe Photoshop costs $600 per year. If you're looking for something more affordable than this, consider trying out GIMP instead.
If you've ever looked online for information about free software, chances are you'll come across terms like open source, public domain, freely licensed, copyleft, GPL, FSF licenses, BSD, MIT, Apache 2 License, and Creative Commons licenses. While they vary in specifics, these general definitions will help you understand how different types of free software operate. And as we'll see below, the differences among them can make a big difference in whether or not the software is useful to you.
In addition to defining freeware, here are some other terms related to software that you might encounter while reading articles online.
Freeware refers specifically to software that is offered at no charge. There are plenty of examples of freeware out there, including Windows XP Media Center Edition, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera Mini, Skype, iTunes, VLC Player, Winamp, Audacity, and lots more. Some of these products were originally developed by companies but now offer versions available completely free of charge. Others, however, are built from scratch and released under license agreements that prohibit modification or redistribution. These include Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, etc.
There are actually several categories within the overall umbrella of freeware. You can find software that offers everything from full featured applications to small utility apps. Depending on your needs, you might decide to go ahead and download and install whatever appeals to you. Or you might just browse through the selections until you find something that fits your needs. Either way, you won't break the bank doing it.
As long as you keep in mind that freeware comes with certain limitations, you shouldn't run into too much trouble. Just remember that you don't own anything once you click the download button. Once you finish downloading it, it becomes yours to play with, tweak, and modify according to your requirements. As far as legalities are concerned, you need only read the licensing agreement carefully before proceeding.
Like I mentioned earlier, there are dozens upon dozens of free software options that you can choose from. When searching for the best ones, the first thing you should look for is ease of use. After all, who cares if it takes 10 minutes to load every single app you want to try out if it makes your life easier? Also, keep in mind that not all free software is necessarily good. Sometimes, the quality isn't quite there yet and you'd probably be better off sticking with paid software.
Another important factor to take into consideration is compatibility. Even though you can get away with installing a bunch of random apps on your PC, it's always a good idea to stick with those that work well together. Don't forget that you can always upgrade your existing software whenever necessary. Plus, having multiple versions installed at the same time is never a bad thing.
And lastly, if you plan on sharing your machine with someone else, it's wise to pick software that allows you to easily set permissions. Otherwise, you might end up giving yourself a headache when trying to figure out why a particular file doesn't show up when you search for it using File Explorer.
One final note worth mentioning is that there are plenty of places where you can obtain free software. You can visit websites dedicated solely to offering free downloads. Many major software publishers also maintain lists of their top products, complete with reviews and ratings. They usually feature both freeware and commercial offerings. Other times, you can simply enter key words relevant to your interests into search engines like Yahoo!, Bing!, Ask, and DuckDuckGo. All of which provide you with links to sites hosting collections of free downloads.
What is the term for software that is exclusively by a company and Cannot be used or modified without permission?
This kind of software falls outside of the realm of freeware altogether. Instead, it's considered proprietary software. Most often, these programs come bundled with hardware devices and accessories. So naturally, your purchase or rental fee will depend heavily on whether or not you agree to the conditions attached to this software. To avoid getting burned, you might want to think twice before making the purchase.
Some of the biggest names in gaming today rely almost entirely on proprietary software. PlayStation 3 owners enjoy games like Call Of Duty 4 Black Ops, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Tomb Raider Underworld, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and FIFA 08 Ultimate Team. Xbox 360 gamers can experience titles like Halo Reach, Gears Of War 2, BioShock Infinite, Modern Warfare 3, and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Wii owners can enjoy Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime Hunters, Madden NFL 09, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Guitar Hero World Tour. Nintendo DS owners can play Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, Animal Crossing City Folk, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii owners can play Resident Evil Revelations, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, and LittleBigPlanet PSP.
You can find similar examples of games that require payment on Steam, Origin, Gamefly, Battle.net, Impulse, Sony Entertainment Network, Playstation Store, XBox Live Marketplace, Ubisoft Club, Microsoft Points, etc. Although these are generally available for free after signing up for an account, you still need to register your credit card details beforehand. Which brings us back to our initial question. What is the term for software that cannot be used or modified without permission?
Software that requires registration and payment can be classified as non-free software. Non-free software is typically sold via subscription fees or monthly payments. For example, you can subscribe to Netflix or Hulu Plus to watch movies and TV shows online. You can buy music albums directly from Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Spotify, Pandora, or iHeartRadio. You can rent Blu-ray discs from Blockbuster Online. And you can purchase digital books from Barnes & Noble Nook or Kindle Unlimited.
Which installation method is most likely to put your computer at risk of downloading a virus?
When installing software, you should always follow instructions precisely. That being said, there are situations wherein you might feel compelled to ignore certain warnings. Such instances arise especially when dealing with automatic installations. Examples of these kinds of software include Norton Antivirus, McAfee AntiVirus, AVG Security Suite, ESET Smart Security, BitDefender Total Security 2011, Kaspersky Anti Virus 2010, Avast Personal Firewall Protection 2012, Spybot S&;S Search &; Destroy, Malwarebytes' Anti Malware Premium 2008, Panda Cloud Security, Sophos Home Server, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Trend Micro OfficeScan 2009, Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus 8, ZoneAlarm Pro 2016, Avira AntiVir Corporate Edition 2015, Comodo Dragon AntiVirus 2014, BullGuard Security 2013, ClamXav AntiVirus 9.0, Emsisoft Anti-MalWare 7, MacKeeper PRO 2013, TrendMicro Mobile Security, and Zemana NetProtect VPN.
If you're looking for a program that will help you get things done then there's no question about where you should start -- with free software! There are several reasons why this is so important today: security concerns, lack of funding for research & development, and the fact that some companies simply don't want their products being used without paying them (or someone else). On top of all these benefits, there are also plenty of ways to find programs that fit your needs perfectly -- whether they are available as freeware, open source, or even proprietary commercial software. Let's take a look at what those terms mean, and see if we can come up with a good definition for "freeware" that doesn't include everything but still lets us know when something isn't quite right.
The first thing to understand is that free software is very different from freeware. In order to clarify exactly what makes one kind better than another, let's make sure we've got our terminology straight. A lot of people think that the difference comes down to licensing -- meaning that free software is offered under licenses like GPLv2 or MIT while freeware is generally restricted by copyright laws. While this is true for most cases, it's actually just part of the story.
To really understand what's going on here, we need to go back to the beginning of time. When Bill Gates started Microsoft, he didn't give away his product for nothing -- instead, he gave away the rights to copy and redistribute the code for Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP. This was the original form of freeware -- because it wasn't protected by patents or copyrights, it could be copied freely. You might say that it was given away for free, but that only tells half the story -- it was given away using the same license everyone uses for all kinds of software today.
Since then, Microsoft has added additional protections to protect itself against lawsuits and piracy. These days, however, almost every piece of software contains some sort of restriction on copying -- whether it's a patent, copyright law, or something else entirely. So, if you download something and try to run it on more than one machine, that means you aren't allowed to distribute it further unless you pay somebody for permission. Now, you might wonder why this matters -- after all, who cares if I'm running copies of Office 2007 on my laptop and my desktop PC? Well, the answer lies in the way we define "free." If you were to ask me what "free" meant, I'd probably tell you that it basically means "it costs $0", and that wouldn't necessarily cover it either.
So now we've established that freeware and free software are both similar in name, but completely different in intent. What about open source? Open source is a little bit harder to pin down -- although it's often defined as simply having the ability to read the source code, the truth is that "open source" refers to much more than that. At minimum, it implies that the author(s) of the software allow others to view, change, and extend the work -- essentially, the opposite of closed source software. As such, it's a catchall phrase that describes lots of different ideas -- including those mentioned above.
In short, none of these three words describe the exact same concept. Instead, each covers a slightly different area. For example, freeware tends to focus on ease of use and reliability, whereas free software focuses on freedom. And finally, open source emphasizes sharing knowledge and building community around projects.
Let's talk more about each of these concepts individually.
There are actually multiple definitions for "open source". Most commonly, though, it refers to software developed openly, i.e. by releasing the source code to the public so that anybody can examine it and contribute changes. Because the source code is released publicly, anyone can build binaries of the software for distribution and customization purposes. Also, since the source code is visible, developers can track bugs and improvements before releasing new versions.
As a result, open source software is usually cheaper to develop and maintain than proprietary alternatives -- especially when you consider the cost of hiring programmers and designers specifically for developing new features. Plus, since open source software is built upon existing technologies rather than designed from scratch, it typically offers improved stability and performance compared to newer pieces of software.
Open source software also tends to be less expensive to purchase, depending on the company involved. Many organizations choose to release their own applications for free, while charging money for professional services related to customizing them. Others offer paid upgrades to older versions of software, making it possible to move forward with fewer problems than a typical consumer would experience. Finally, some businesses sell support contracts to customers that provide ongoing maintenance updates -- effectively extending the life of the application beyond the initial sale.
This is perhaps the best place to start defining freeware. Even though it sounds somewhat self-explanatory, it's worth mentioning that "free" and "software" are not synonymous. Technically speaking, anything that you can obtain, install, and use for free is considered freeware. But that's not always practical -- sometimes, you'll need special hardware in order to run certain apps, or you won't be able to legally acquire a particular piece of software due to licensing issues. To avoid confusion, you should refer to software that requires payment as "proprietary," regardless of whether it's sold in brick-and-mortar stores or online.
Many times, you'll hear references to "shareware" and "demo ware"; unfortunately, neither of these terms exist anymore. They were once common, referring to trial periods for software that included functionality limited to demos, trials, or beta releases. Unfortunately, the industry has moved away from these practices, leaving many old titles with misleading names. In addition, because demo software was frequently bundled with games, it's hard to distinguish between a legitimate demo and a pirated version.
Today, you'll mostly encounter software called "trialware" -- where the word "trial" is used to describe a feature that expires after a set period of time or expires when the customer buys a subscription. Although this practice seems harmless enough, it can quickly become annoying if you end up buying an app that doesn't deliver the promised functionality.
Is free software that is distributed with few licensing and copyright restrictions?
While it's true that freeware is free in the sense that it's distributed for free, it's also true that it's very easy to violate the conditions attached to that privilege. Since many freeware programs contain restrictive licensing agreements that limit redistribution to individual PCs or require registration information to be provided prior to installation, it's usually safe to assume that it's illegal to redistribute the software.
However, you shouldn't count out legal gray areas -- some companies may restrict themselves from distributing freeware altogether, while allowing users to install it locally on their machines. Furthermore, even if a program is technically illegal, it may still be accepted into the mainstream market based on popularity alone. Take, for instance, the case of Adobe Flash Player -- which is currently widely regarded as infringing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), despite the fact that it's been downloaded millions of times across thousands of websites.
Although the DMCA applies to copyrighted works, it's primarily concerned with protecting digital content from unauthorized duplication. With regard to software, it states that distributors cannot circumvent technological protection measures intended to control access to copyrighted materials. Basically, this means that you can't crack DRM schemes employed by movies, music, video game engines, etc. to prevent unauthorized playback. However, if you're trying to play the movie in a DVD player, that's fair game and you're within your rights to do so.
For more details, you can visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation website.
Software that helps you accomplish specific goals is known as automation software. Automation software provides shortcuts to complex processes, saving you time and effort. Some examples of automation software include automated backups, automatic email replies, and scheduling tasks.
This question comes up all the time when we talk about software that's open sourced (and therefore freely available) versus proprietary software that requires payment for usage. But there are actually several different terms used interchangeably with "open source." Here's our list of those terms and their differences so you're clear on exactly what they mean.
First off, let's define some terminology. Open source means software whose code is made publicly accessible via a license permitting modification and redistribution under certain conditions. This could be called free software because it allows people to copy and distribute copies without charge, but this isn't always true. For example, Linux operating system distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora are officially free software. Other examples include Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database management systems such as MariaDB and PostgreSQL, and the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). These projects give away the source code while also providing binaries designed specifically for various platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and other non-Linux machines.
"Open Source," however, is more commonly associated with software that's released into public domain. In other words, these programs don't require licensing fees from end users. Instead, programmers release them under licenses that allow others to download, change, adapt, and redistribute them. Examples include Firefox, LibreOffice suite, GIMP image editor, VLC multimedia player, Blender 3D animation toolkit, and ImageMagick photo editing library. These types of applications are often referred to as "freemiums," meaning the program itself is provided gratis but additional features or functionality may need to be purchased.
So now we know that both open source and free software refer to the same thing, but where does freeware come in? Well, according to Wikipedia, freeware is defined as follows:
Freeware is software that is distributed for use at a price of zero. Freeware may not be 'free software.' The Free Software Foundation defines free software as software that gives its users the freedom to share, study and modify it. It has no restrictions attached to it.
This definition seems pretty straightforward. According to the FSF, freeware software doesn't have any limitations on who can use it and is completely free to use, share, and modify. Some argue that "freeware" should only apply to software that is offered for free within the context of a trial period, and shouldn't be confused with software licensed for use at no cost. While the distinction might seem small, it's important enough to warrant mention here. If someone offers you a product for free and later wants money for support, upgrades, or something else, then it's probably not considered freeware anymore. Just make sure you understand the difference before you buy anything!
The next step toward understanding freeware is knowing the difference between free software and free ware. As mentioned above, freeware consists entirely of software that's given away absolutely free of charge. There are no strings attached, and you can install it on just about any machine. On the flip side, free software is a bit different. You'll find it in the wild much less frequently than freeware, since it's typically tied to a specific hardware platform or operating system. A great example of this is Ubuntu. When first launched back in 2004, Canonical promised to provide a version of Ubuntu that ran on every PC imaginable -- even old 386 PCs. Since then, though, the project has expanded beyond desktops to mobile devices, tablets, and embedded systems. That said, plenty of free software still exists, especially for desktop environments. Even better news is that many popular free software titles were originally created using commercial products. So if you've been wanting to write your own game engine, create your own music app, or build your very own website, chances are good that it was done already somewhere down the line.
Now that you know what freeware is, and why it differs from free software, you're ready to get started with one of the easiest ways to learn everything you need to know about open source technology. To help you along, here's another handy guide that will walk you through the basics of getting set up with GitHub.com. The site serves as a repository for sharing and collaborating on code, and lets you contribute to existing repositories. And for more information, see How Git Works and What Is GitHub Used For?
1. What does \"freeware\" mean?
Freeware is any software that is distributed for use at a price of zero. However, freeware may not be 'free software'. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) definition states that “Free Software” means computer programs available with restrictions on how they are used, modified or shared, so that everyone who receives them can see what terms come next.
The FSF also states that "Open Source" is an umbrella term that includes both open source licenses and free software licenses. According to Wikipedia, Open-source software refers to all types of software where the code is made freely available by using one of six different copyleft licenses such as GNU GPL, MIT License, BSD license, Apache 2 license, Artistic license, etc.
There are two main forms of free software - proprietary software which uses non-copylefted licenses like Microsoft Windows operating system, Adobe Photoshop, Google Chrome browser etc., while the other form of free software is called freeware which uses copylefted licenses like Linux kernel, Mozilla Firefox web browser etc.
In this article we will discuss the differences between these three kinds of software, their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Proprietary Vs Free Software
Proprietary software allows you to install only those features that the vendor wants to sell you. There is hardly anything else that you can do with the software once you have installed it on your device. You cannot customize the software according to your needs and preferences. If you need more than just the basic features provided by a particular program then you either have to buy additional packages from the developer's website or look elsewhere.
Most of the time when you purchase commercial software, you get some sort of support. This helps you troubleshoot problems and keep track of bugs if there are any. Also, most vendors provide updates over a period of time so that you don't have to wait until the new version comes out every year or so.
If you want to upgrade the software but don't want to pay extra money, there might be a way around it. For example, many developers offer upgrades through patches instead of major versions. Patches fix minor issues in existing applications without changing the core functionality.
Commercial software usually comes bundled with lots of useful tools and utilities that make working
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