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How do you pay for software? Depends on what's expected. Is it freeware, shareware (time-bomb-ware, usageware, crippleware, nagware, guiltware), costware, updaters, demoware, or just plain data? By the time you're done with this page you'll be able to figure out what to pay, how to pay, and how much to tip the waiter. Okay, not the last one :-)

• Freeware: Software that's given away for free by the author(s). Just because it's free doesn't mean it's not excellent software of professional quality. It just means it's a labor of love.

• Shareware: Software for which you're expected to pay a nominal fee (far less than the comparitive costware). For many small developers, those working alone or in little groups after work, shareware is their free-market attempt to move into careers where they can spend their days and nights making better software for you. Pay your shareware fees! If after a month you find yourself relying on a nifty, elegant, "just what I wanted it to do" shareware, send off some legal tender. Everyone can afford US$10 or US$20 per month in shareware fees. Shareware comes in the following varieties:
  • Time-bomb-ware: Software that remembers when it was installed and deletes itself or stops working some time thereafter. Their evaluation periods are usually one month.

  • Usageware: Software that remembers how often it's used and and deletes itself or stops working some time thereafter.

  • Crippleware: Software that keeps extended functionality unavailable from you until you pay the shareware fee. Typically the "crippled" form is still a damned useful tool, but as soon as you become a "power user" you'll want the advanced features.

  • Nagware: Fully-functional software that reminds you time and again that you haven't paid the shareware fee.

  • Guiltware: Fully-functional software that eats at your conscience. Perhaps the most insidious strategem of all.

• Costware: You shouldn't find any commercial software in the net. Technically it's a violation of copyright, specifically it's stealing. (Put that in your pipe and smoke it.) Given the incredibly polished shareware that's available there's really no good reason for stealing commercial software. And if you really need that US$750 professional-quality package to get your work done you should pay for it.

  An exception to this rule is the recent appearance of through-the-net software purchase. Apple's latest release of QuickTime was made available to holders of First Virtual accounts. I was using it a few minutes after reading about it.

• Updaters: Software that adds new functionality to (and hopefully removes bugs from) a piece of software already in your posession. This is a great way of decreasing download time (compared with downloading a complete copy of the new version of {free,share}ware) and allowing commercial companies to quickly and cheaply distribute bug fixes and feature updates to their customers (who are the only ones who have the core software). When evaluating costware I suggest you see how often they've distributed updaters over the net. Connectix is one company that's whole-heartedly embraced net-distributed updaters for their software products (like RAM Doubler and drivers for their hardware products (like QuickCam).

• Demoware: Made popular by ID Software's distribution of DOOM for the PC many years ago, demoware is software that demonstrates the features and power of an application while restricting certain functionality. Demoware differs from crippleware in that it's not possible to "unlock" the demo. You have to purchase (on-line or off) the actual product. The characteristics of the demo depend upon the product: a text editor demo typically has the Save feature disabled, a game typically has only a few levels and less than the complete range of digital adversaries.

• Data: There are a lot of data available on the net, some of it free, some for cost. Examples include HyperCard stacks and Newton books (public-domain texts converted for reading on the Newton MessagePad). There's much more: weather maps, travel reports, results of scientific experiments, recipes, and terabytes more.