Shareware - The Final Solution? -------------------------- Once upon a time it required only one man to write a commercial program. There were no high demands and no complicated computers to supply such demands. The lonely programmer enjoys quite a profitable life. As time was passing by, things had changed. Better computer come into the world, bringing a wide range of new possibilities. After a short time, it was hell out there. Programs were reviewed and checked, and only the best could survive. A good game is no longer the work of one man only. You have a main coder, a composer, an artist, a debugging team and much more. Even if you have a good product, you still need a very good marketing company by your side to push your product forward . . . Even though the product level is much higher today, we, the users, shouldn't be too happy. The rising amount of coders behind each program caused the cost of those programs to rise rapidly. From the three bucks we paid for a cute pac-man on the spectrum to $30-$100 for a game on the IBM and Amiga. Even if you do buy a great game, how long can you enjoy it?!?!? soon you'll find yourself heading to your local dealer for another purchase. Well, I have to admit, us users are smart, as we found a very elegant way to solve this expensive problem: Piracy. Why pay if you can get the program from a friend? We all know it is a theft. But hell, if so many people do it, there is probably a reason. And all the people that are against it have to agree, software costs today is a problem. One day, a new idea came into the world. Fresh, young and solving many problems for everyone - shareware. Shareware - Concept. -------------------- A Shareware product is a product that is distributed freely. You can copy it to your friends, supply it on your BBS or different networks, you can even test it out! However, if you become a regular user of the product, you are required to pay the writer. Some people give strange meanings to the words "Regular user." They have the latest shareware adventure. Played it for three weeks and solved it. But, hey, "We were only testing the game out! That is allowed, isn't it?!?!?" No, it isn't. When you use a program for more then just to get the main idea and flavor of the game, you are a regular user. understood? Shareware - Programmers point of view. ------------------------------------- Ok, So what does shareware has to offer for the writer of the programs? Well, for a start, it saves time. You don't need to include copy protection since the program is freely distributable anyway. Secondly, no need to pay for that marketing company. The product markets itself! As the program is freely distributable, it is copied and uploaded to many places! A good example could be this disk. We uploaded AMONER01 to about two PD/Shareware centers and two BBS's. It's been less then two months and it's already in about 20 locations that we know of . . . Third, no red tape. You don't need that many "Suit and Tie" people around you. All you have to do is upload the program to a good PD/Shareware center or send it to a library of that kind (for example: Fred Fish's) and then wait for the money. Last, when you have fewer people to share the profits with, your cut is bigger. It's kind of selfish, but it is the material world that we live in. It is something to consider. Shareware - Users point of view. -------------------------------- Let's see. How often did you buy a program and felt cheated after seeing it? It wasn't as good as you thought, or something that was advertised was not really there? Well, an obvious advantage of the shareware program is that you get to see what you're getting before buying it. If you don't like the program, just dump it and never look at it again. Another thing to consider, shareware is CHEAP! When the writer can give up the huge marketing costs and spend less time on each program, he also can give you a better deal on what you buy. Most shareware programs cost from $5-$15. definitely something you can afford. How about sources? Did you have that certain program that you really thought needed something extra but could do nothing about? Well, shareware often comes with the source! You can add/remove/modify things that you like . . . Finally, you don't have to run everywhere. You don't need to chase after your computer dealer. You just hook up a modem, call the closest BBS, and, in less than ten minutes, you have it. Shareware and AMOS ------------------ Did you ever want to write a commercial quality game? Well, why didn't you? Was it because you couldn't master C, or simply because you don't have the time? Maybe you did start to write a game but the animation didn't seem smooth enough and the screen switching always produced an annoying flickering effect? Here is where AMOS came to help. Mandarin software gave you a great tool to create commercial quality games and software in relatively short time. If you are a busy person, who doesn't have time to market and publish his product, take advantage of the shareware idea. Upoad the product to your favorite BBS, or, better yet, send it to us! Then go back to whatever you were doing and wait. If your program is really good, some money is bound to show up . . . Shareware - The Final Solution? --------------------------------- So is shareware really the end to the programmer/user nightmares of unprofitable games and a waste of money? probably not. As much as shareware got many advantages, it also got some serious drawbacks. For one thing, shareware makes piracy a joke. As far as I know, very few shareware programs made their writers serious money. One of the most popular shareware programs include BBS's and communication programs that the user opens to the public and fears that the writer will notice his program being used by someone who didn't pay . . . Another problem is the quality of the programs. Since it really cost nothing and needs no legal authorization, many writers who produce poor programs release them with the shareware idea. Also, the writers of programs do not have the obligation that commercial companies feel for their users so as to survive the market. All those result in ideas that are near the shareware idea: testware, licenseware, legalware and such, all differ from the shareware idea, each trying to solve a different part of the idea's drawbacks. Is there such a thing as a "Final Solution?" I can't think of one, so maybe there isn't. If there is, shareware is a step forward. Let's use it wisely.