Comments on: Free Software vs Free Trial

By: ksoftware

ksoftware — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:40:30 +0000

“Shareware” isn’t a type of software at all — it’s a marketing method. One of the most successful software marketing methods ever invented, too.

When you talk about “Shareware” and “Shareware authors” you’re talking about some of the biggest software companies around. Microsoft, Symantec, Intuit, etc, all use the Shareware method (try-before-you-buy).

Shareware is *the* most fair way to market your software in my opinion. I use time-based trials in all of my software to show the user what the software does so they can *decide* to buy it if it fits their needs.

Is there a lot of crap software out there? You bet. But that has nothing to do with the method in which the author(s) choose to market it.

By: Scott Kane - Moderator comp.software.sharewrare.*

Scott Kane - Moderator comp.software.sharewrare.* — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:27:37 +0000

X is the unknown quantity and Pirillo has always been high on the quantity department. Quality on the other hand has *never* been one of his salient points in any of his “enterprises”. I’d not worry about this guy, I’ve always seen him as a wanna be tech journo who tries to be hip and controversial by saying anything that comes into his, rather compressed, head.

Scott Kane
Moderator comp.software.shareware.*

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:08:03 +0000

Oh, I almost forgot. Since Chris is such an authority on successful ventures maybe he can tell us how lockergnome is doing, how Gnome Fest is doing, and what channel his tv show is on now?

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:02:53 +0000

“Most shareware authors are mediocre developers and rotten marketers.”

How exactly do you come by this broad condemnation? Have you looked at any numbers or researched this at all? There are many of us earning a good living selling shareware. Those who are “mediocre developers” don’t remain in the business very long. The market takes care of them. You can’t broad brush the entire category by those developers. You might as well say that most restarauntours don’t know what they are doing since the majority of new restaurants fail within the first year.

The web isn’t killing us. On the contrary the web is making us successful beyond an order of magnitude compared to what was possible before the web. If anything is hurting the shareware market is it ignorant people like yourself who make blanket condemnations of the shareware market without knowing what they are talking about.

By: Peter Gillberg - Software Marketing Secrets

Peter Gillberg - Software Marketing Secrets — Thu, 31 May 2007 07:38:31 +0000

Chris,

As I am new to this blog I am having trouble understanding your post. As you arguing about free software vs. free trial as the title indicates or about free upgrades?

While I do agree that it is very important that the upgrade process is easy, I strongly advise against automatic charges. I am guessing this is what you are referring to when mentioning Paypal?

Running a software store selling only “paid for software” we often get questions like: “Why do I need to pay for the upgrade?”

Also, normally if lifetime upgrades are “free for life” the software user should suspect that there will be very little development going into the product.

I’d take a paid upgrade and proper product development any day.

By: Logan E. Wing, III

Logan E. Wing, III — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:22:08 +0000

In defence of Lockergnome about John Belanger’s comment I have to disagree. I have gotten several free software downloads from them. Every so often in one of PC World’s newsletters there is one whole section from Lockergnome that contains free software information for downloads that were also provided in prior issues of Lockergnome newsletters. Lockergnome newsletters provide a lot of shareware information but they also provide some freeware information. See the PC World Desktops & Monitors May 14th issue for example. The following is a quote: “PC World has teamed up with Lockergnome.com to bring you even more great downloads! Each Monday, we will feature downloads hand-picked by Chris Pirillo, editor of Lockergnome.com.” There are 5 FREE downloads available there. All have appeared in prior issues of Lockergnome newsletters. One other thing, Chris may visit California but he now lives in the State of Washington.

By: Steve Spalding

Steve Spalding — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:03:14 +0000

It’s true, there are so many alternatives out there that if you cripple the software chances people will just move on.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 30 May 2007 22:14:19 +0000

It’s ironic that some of the best software out there is free and I would gladly pay for it if the developer asked and yes, I have been disappointed when I have paid for software only to be disappointed later on. I’m mostly a Mac user now but I do run Windows in Parallels on my laptop via a Boot Camp partition on our 20 inch Intel iMac. I find it totally amazing that the guy who created Irfanview accepts donations he doesn’t really push any kind of payment and it seems to get better and better with every release. Also while I love Macs I hate it that Apple forces users to repay for Quicktime Pro over and over again after each major release. Not that I don’t mind paying for a new version but I wish they would respect those who have already purchased with a discount upgrade price and don’t get me started by how QuickTime annoys you on Windows Machines to upgrade to the Pro version which if you do you will have to repurchase it if they decide to upgrade to a new version.

By: Daryn

Daryn — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:41:16 +0000

Nagware is, well, annoying by design.. Unfortunately, the annoyance that used to drive people to pay, now simply drives them to find an alternative product (and there is usually one out there..) I hate it.

As for free trials, it’s a mixed bag. Depending on functionality, I could be just as happy with an n-day full featured trial or cripple-ware (omg, is that completely offensive or what..) Make it too crippled (there i go again), like blocking me from saving or exporting and I don’t trust that the upgrade will solve anything and I’ll go elsewhere. Ideally, I prefer a completely functional, but less feature-rich free version, and easy upgrade path to the fully-featured, pay product.

By: Steve Spalding

Steve Spalding — Wed, 30 May 2007 19:34:26 +0000

What Web 2.0 opened up was an entire world of new solutions to old problems. Shareware developers just don’t get that they aren’t the only person in their market anymore, and the only really “added value” that they provide is in customer service and one or two killer features. You’re right, in an ADD culture, having any barriers to entry — especially high ones, is ridiculous.

By: Derek Stewart

Derek Stewart — Wed, 30 May 2007 19:24:20 +0000

Hi Chris,
Just to say I totally agree with your observations. I for one hate Shareware. It often doesn’t load properly, is incomplete in the functions it says it offers and when you try to get rid of it, it hangs on for grim death leaving lots of cr*p behind. Open Source seems to be well thought out and some freeware is also quite exceptional in what it provides.
Cheers!

By: JDoors

JDoors — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:03:03 +0000

And … Please! Make it easy to “re-register” ownership if your computer crashes. I have several shareware programs that nag me to register when I have already paid for them. Some are easy to re-register, some are difficult, some I have no idea how to do so. If I hadn’t already become dependant on them (and for some, entered a ton of data) … boy, they’d be deleted in a heartbeat.

By: John Belanger

John Belanger — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:48:55 +0000

I find it amusing that this article on free software was written by Chris Pirillo.

Every brand of paid for junk software has been in Lockergnome but never is there a piece of freeware.

I’ve been reading LG since it was a whole, real publication back in Iowa. Now Chis is busy floating about in California with a new wife and Lockergnome hasn’t had a piece of freeware in years so this article is just a bit hypocritical!

LG used to be an “authority” on computer related subjects. That was back in the good old days. Now it seems as if Pirillo’s opinion goes to the highest bidder, sad indeed, very very sad.

John Belanger

By: Robert Lancaster

Robert Lancaster — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:03:09 +0000

I am not a big fan of software going from freeware, to free trial and then fully shareware. The only reason this seems to happen is when an application starts to gain popularity. This does not mean that it is good! Whenever this happens I uninstall and move on to something else. SourceForge has become my friend :) Being a developer myself there is not enough time to write all the utilities you need, so downloading them is always a good option. This quest for the quick buck is downright annoying. What happened to the good old days when people shared their knowledge and their utilities? Bring back BBS’es :)
My other bug bear is that for those of us living ib the developing world some of these prices being asked are ludicrous and WAY out of our price range. I am certainly not going to pay $100+ dollars for a utility to join AVI files together! This equates to my sons monthly school fees!

By: Pito’s Blog

Pito’s Blog — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

No matter, I’ve placed an order for what will likely be known as the most expensive keyboard in the history of the world. “Why?!” I keep asking myself the same question.’ (from the Chris Pirillo Blog) But just yesterday, in “Free Software vs Free Trial”, Chris wrote: “Either way, subsequent licenses should be at *LEAST* half off (if not more). Let me put it to you this way: $10 isn’t much, but it means more to me if that covers a perpetual license that’s not tied to any one computer or another. It’s the