How Did Shareware Become So Popular
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Software Shareware May 3rd, 2008Shareware’s modest beginning in the 1980s as a pioneering and innovative initiative for sharing free software amongst users eventually turned into a lucrative billion dollar industry with potential for further development.
There are several reasons for shareware’s spectacular success. Computer clubs and libraries were developing very fast in the 1980s. Consumers of these facilities were demanding quicker and more efficient services. Shareware was able to meet that new demand through innovative information technology. Computer magazines’ favorable reviews promoted these programs spread fast. Conventional software programs of those days were highly priced whereas shareware was available at a considerably low cost. Users found shareware attractive because they were given the opportunity to try it first before buying it at a very small price. It was also an economically viable proposition for the authors of shareware instead of investing time and money in selling it through expensive niche stores.
It is a profitable way to get shareware program at a fraction of the cost. The concept of “try before you buy” concept has become an extremely attractive proposition to the users because they do not have to take the risk of investing money without being convinced about the efficiency of the system.
Shareware authors write their programs that they need for themselves and then make these available through shareware. Shareware abounds with limitless varieties. Commercial software manufacturers mostly write programs they believe would be best sellers. Shareware, therefore, makes it possible to prepare small but very useful utilities and applications that their users find indispensable.
Shareware’s utterly attractive user-friendly marketing strategy is the reason or its tremendous popularity.
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