All About Freeware

Here is a quick list of the pros and cons which apply to most freeware computer programs…

PROS

1. There is a wider variety of freeware available, as it doesn’t have to appeal to a large enough audience to justify commercial production.

2. It is more likely to function in older operating systems and computers than new commercial software (with some exceptions).

3. As its name suggests, freeware doesn’t cost anything. Sometimes the program source code is even included for free.

CONS

1. Freeware is typically supplied via download over the internet, rather than being provided on a more convenient CDROM.

2. Free software publishers don’t have any obligation to provide technical support, although some of them do.

3. Certain precautions have to be taken to avoid viruses, but this isn’t much of a problem if reputable download sites are used.

There’s no need to pay for computerized chess programs. Here are a couple of freeware games that work in Windows 95 or later and download in under ten minutes on dial-up (usually less than two minutes with DSL/cable)…

Pawn 1.73: This game has nice-looking graphics and offers multiple difficulty levels. You may need to upgrade to a newer version of DirectX software if you have an older Windows version. Download (302K)

Flash Chess: Also one of the faster-downloading programs, Flash Chess has a colorful, three dimensional appearance. Pawn 1.73, on the other hand, looks more traditional. Download (1270K)

Both of these programs have been scanned for viruses with AVG Free 8.0.

Many computers do not include commercial slideshow creation software (like MS PowerPoint), and it can cost as much as $230 to purchase applications of this type. Here are a couple of free alternatives available on the internet…

Impress: Part of the OpenOffice.org package, this free program has many features and is capable of saving slideshow presentations in SWF, PowerPoint, or OpenDocument formats. It is available for several operating systems: Mac OSX, Solaris, Windows, and Linux. A downside is the large download size of the software package (over 100MB). More Details

eXpress Collage Lite: This free software downloads more quickly (about 16MB), and works in Windows 98 or later. When creating a slideshow, it is possible to add graphics, audio, and text. A larger Collage Suite (23MB) is offered on the publisher’s web site, with some additional features, and more templates can be downloaded separately as well. Download

Many web sites offer freeware or shareware software programs for download. What is the difference between these two formats?

SHAREWARE

This type of program typically lets people use it for a “trial period” before it expires, or restricts the features which can be used for free. It may also prohibit commercial use or only be usable a certain number of times. The restrictions are lifted after the user pays a registration fee. Some of these programs are useful in their unregistered state, others are basically just a preview.

FREEWARE

Free software, on the other hand, offers long-term full functionality without the payment of a fee. In some cases, the publisher may offer to sell a separate “professional” or “plus” version of the program, but users are not obligated to purchase it. Some publishers also ask for voluntary donations to help fund their software development efforts. “Open source” software is also free to use.

SIMILARITIES

Both freeware and shareware can be downloaded and distributed freely. Either type also provides at least some functionality free of charge.

Here are four brief reviews of freeware word processing programs…

SOPHISTICATED WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE

Jarte 3.3: This free program installs and opens quickly. Features include spell check, image insertion, word counter, zoom, and more. Files can be saved in RTF, DOC, or TXT formats. It requires Windows 98 or later. Jarte appears to provide all the features necessary in a word processing application, despite being free. Download

AbiWord 2.6.4: While Jarte is like an improved Wordpad with more features, AbiWord appears more similar to older versions of Microsoft Word. It offers a word counter, tables, full screen mode, columns, and the ability to save files in several different formats. Download size is larger than the other programs listed here (just under six megabytes). It is available for several different operating systems. Download

BASIC FREE WORD PROCESSING PROGRAMS

Dark Room 0.8b: This is a good idea - simple, compact (46k compressed) word processing software that operates in full screen mode with a dark background. However, it only works in Windows XP/2000, and I was unable to run it in XP; there was an error about not having the correct version of the .NET Framework. Download

NE v3.00b: This free DOS software application (it won’t work in Windows XP without a DOS emulator like DOSBox) doesn’t have fonts or graphics, but it does allow multiple files to be opened in separate windows. It also has several fairly advanced features like spell check, word wrap, and DOS shell. Download

Each of these software programs have been tested for viruses with AVG Free.