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The Viability of Shareware

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The Viability of Shareware
« on: February 13, 2011, 03:38:15 PM »
What are peoples thoughts on the viability of shareware?
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Parsifal

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2011, 10:15:19 PM »
From what perspective?
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PizzaPlanet

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2011, 12:06:29 AM »
Personally, I really like the concept of "try before you buy". I think that if I'm supposed to actually pay for software, it would be very nice to see if it meets my demands.

When I was buying my headphones, the shop I bought them at let me test the pair I was interested in, even though they only had them boxed and not on display. The cashier just unpacked them for me and accompanied me to one of the hi-fis in the aisle, put a CD in and let me listen awhile. It was really nice to be able to just listen to music (which, after all, is usually the main purpose of that particular product) and judge whether or not I like the sound, instead of staring at specifications of several models and trying to assess which bunch of numbers will work better for me.

Of course, the evaluation was very short (I listened to two songs) and restricted (I couldn't choose what I'm listening to. They just gave me whatever CD they happened to have at the ready), but it gave me a general idea of what I'm buying. I just think it's a nice option to have.
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Mr Pseudonym

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2011, 02:31:42 AM »
Quote from: Parsifal on February 13, 2011, 10:15:19 PM
From what perspective?
Your perspective.
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Quote from: hallsofvallhalla on July 07, 2010, 01:06:43 PM
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Parsifal

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2011, 02:39:02 AM »
Quote from: Mr Pseudonym on February 14, 2011, 02:31:42 AM
Your perspective.

He might have meant viability from a perspective of workability, or from a perspective of credibility. Much like apartheid, it may or may not be enormously successful at the former criterion, and fails to even approach the latter.
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Quote from: Ævan on August 11, 2013, 01:18:20 PM
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Mr Pseudonym

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2011, 03:01:24 AM »
Quote from: Parsifal on February 14, 2011, 02:39:02 AM
Quote from: Mr Pseudonym on February 14, 2011, 02:31:42 AM
Your perspective.

He might have meant viability from a perspective of workability, or from a perspective of credibility. Much like apartheid, it may or may not be enormously successful at the former criterion, and fails to even approach the latter.
He's talkin' shareware, something I thought you may have an interest in.  How about you try answer the question without being a pedant and just put any 'angle' you want on the perspective?
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Quote from: hallsofvallhalla on July 07, 2010, 01:06:43 PM
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Parsifal

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2011, 03:19:44 AM »
Quote from: Mr Pseudonym on February 14, 2011, 03:01:24 AM
He's talkin' shareware, something I thought you may have an interest in.

Why?

Quote from: Mr Pseudonym on February 14, 2011, 03:01:24 AM
How about you try answer the question without being a pedant and just put any 'angle' you want on the perspective?

Sure. From a dog's perspective, shareware is woof woof.
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Quote from: Ævan on August 11, 2013, 01:18:20 PM
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PizzaPlanet

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2011, 04:12:36 AM »
Quote from: Parsifal on February 14, 2011, 03:19:44 AM
From a dog's perspective, shareware is woof woof.
Can you prove it?
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Crustinator

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2011, 04:17:07 AM »
Quote from: John Davis on February 13, 2011, 03:38:15 PM
What are peoples thoughts on the viability of shareware?


Shareware is viable but it needs a new name. "Shareware" is 1990s. It needs a name like iShare, or eShare,

Anything with 'i' or 'e' before it is a guaranteed hit in todays market.
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Mr Pseudonym

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2011, 04:50:49 AM »
Quote from: Parsifal on February 14, 2011, 03:19:44 AM
Quote from: Mr Pseudonym on February 14, 2011, 03:01:24 AM
He's talkin' shareware, something I thought you may have an interest in.
Why?
Because you are able to understand this from a dog's perspective.
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Quote from: hallsofvallhalla on July 07, 2010, 01:06:43 PM
Why do we fall back to earth? Because our weight pushes us down, no laws, no gravity pulling us. It is the law of intelligence.
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markjo

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2011, 12:30:35 PM »
Personally, I think that the biggest problem with shareware is the people that use it.  People are cheap and often times won't pay for something if they can get it for free.  People also don't like crippleware and often won't give it a fair chance if it isn't the full, working version.
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Thork

Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2011, 06:47:35 AM »
Quote from: Crustinator on February 14, 2011, 04:17:07 AM
Quote from: John Davis on February 13, 2011, 03:38:15 PM
What are peoples thoughts on the viability of shareware?


Shareware is viable but it needs a new name. "Shareware" is 1990s. It needs a name like iShare, or eShare,

Anything with 'i' or 'e' before it is a guaranteed hit in todays market.
Or you can use the word 'my'. myShare would be just as typical.
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Tom Bishop

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2011, 02:29:14 PM »
Quote from: markjo on February 14, 2011, 12:30:35 PM
Personally, I think that the biggest problem with shareware is the people that use it.  People are cheap and often times won't pay for something if they can get it for free.  People also don't like crippleware and often won't give it a fair chance if it isn't the full, working version.

An easy way around that is after the time limit is up to lock the user's data until the Shareware fee is paid.

"Your email client is locked until you buy the full version"

"Your password manager is locked until you buy the full version"

"All those documents you saved in our proprietary format are unopenable unless you buy the full version"
« Last Edit: February 16, 2011, 06:57:40 PM by Tom Bishop »
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markjo

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2011, 05:51:05 PM »
Quote from: Tom Bishop on February 16, 2011, 02:29:14 PM
Quote from: markjo on February 14, 2011, 12:30:35 PM
Personally, I think that the biggest problem with shareware is the people that use it.  People are cheap and often times won't pay for something if they can get it for free.  People also don't like crippleware and often won't give it a fair chance if it isn't the full, working version.

An easy way around that is after the time limit is up to lock the user's data until the Shareware fee is paid.

"Your email client is locked until you buy the full version"

"Your password manager is locked until you buy the full version"

"All those documents you saved in our proprietary format are unopenable unless you buy the full version"

I call it Ransomware.

People don't like negotiating with datanappers either. 
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Tom Bishop

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2011, 06:58:19 PM »
Quote from: markjo on February 16, 2011, 05:51:05 PM
People don't like negotiating with datanappers either.  

"Pay up or you don't get your data" isn't a negotiation.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2011, 07:04:05 PM by Tom Bishop »
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markjo

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2011, 04:21:26 PM »
Quote from: Tom Bishop on February 16, 2011, 06:58:19 PM
Quote from: markjo on February 16, 2011, 05:51:05 PM
People don't like negotiating with datanappers either.  

"Pay up or you don't get your data" isn't a negotiation.

That's right, it's data theft.
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Username

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2011, 11:18:09 PM »
Quote from: markjo on February 17, 2011, 04:21:26 PM
Quote from: Tom Bishop on February 16, 2011, 06:58:19 PM
Quote from: markjo on February 16, 2011, 05:51:05 PM
People don't like negotiating with datanappers either.  

"Pay up or you don't get your data" isn't a negotiation.

That's right, it's data theft.
Well, its frustrating but I'd hardly call it theft.  I agree though, its not really the best way to go about it.  Pissing off users just makes them go find a serial online or with Serial Box.

The thing is shareware used to have a huge following and as time went on more and more shareware apps made their way into the OS or had open source alternatives created.  The shareware thats actually worth while buying is for very specific tasks that don't fall within an OS developers goals for the OS.  In this way, I can't see shareware lasting much longer.  However, "apps" and the appstore are pretty similar to shareware. 

I've only had one experience writing shareware and it turned out ok.  But that was a good while ago and if I pursued the same line again I doubt I'd make anything.  The only real way to make money as a shareware developer is to write something that gets you noticed for a job or to write hundreds of shareware programs and watch it trickle in and do it 10 years ago. 

There are some notable exceptions, especially in mac gaming but still, they will move to the app store soon too I bet.  It also seems to me shareware has always had a better chance of being paid for on a mac system.  Not sure why, it just seems that way.  Perhaps it because my shareware app was education based and apple has a decent hold on the education community.  I'd like to think it was more than that though.

Also, the newer trend of moving towards webapps vs traditional apps is something to keep an eye on.
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PizzaPlanet

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2011, 11:23:56 PM »
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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2011, 11:45:56 PM »
Quote from: PizzaPlanet on February 17, 2011, 11:23:56 PM
Quote from: John Davis on February 17, 2011, 11:18:09 PM
mac gaming
Derp
I actually like quite a few shareware mac games.  They have an older feel to most of them.  Then again I'm an arcade fan.  You know, video games for real men.
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markjo

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2011, 08:53:00 AM »
Quote from: John Davis on February 17, 2011, 11:18:09 PM
There are some notable exceptions, especially in mac gaming but still, they will move to the app store soon too I bet.  It also seems to me shareware has always had a better chance of being paid for on a mac system.  Not sure why, it just seems that way.  Perhaps it because my shareware app was education based and apple has a decent hold on the education community.  I'd like to think it was more than that though.

Maybe it's because we Mac people are that much cooler than Windoze people.  8)
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divito the truthist

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Re: The Viability of Shareware
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2011, 02:11:18 PM »
Quote from: markjo on February 18, 2011, 08:53:00 AM
Maybe it's because we Mac people are that much cooler than Windoze people.  8)

Sigs need to allow more characters for this.
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