IT's Story for Computer Beginners

Freeware is software that can be used for free, for example, Adobe Reader and Google Chrome.

You might wonder why software companies give out their software for free. I think there are several key reasons, and I will use Facebook as an example of the first such reason. Facebook is widely used worldwide. If you use it, you have probably seen adverts included in the list of posts on Facebook. For apps that many people use, such as Facebook, the adverts can be the profit model. As they can make money through the adverts, they allow users to use their apps for free.

There is another reason why software may be free. When software has just been released, companies sometimes allow users to use it for free for promotional purposes. They start to sell the software after the number of users increases.

Software can be distributed free of charge in order to provide public services, or those who are interested in software development may make software as a hobby and then release it for free.

Linux is a well-known example of freeware. However, in the case of Linux, the term “open source” is more appropriate than “freeware.” Here, “open” means “to share something.” But what are they sharing? It’s the source code used to execute programs.

Many people remember the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds, because he opened up the source code for the Linux kernel in the spirit of openness, sharing, and participation.The Linux kernel has been improved by developers from around the world, and it has now become a stable operating system. The Windows operating system was developed by Microsoft, whereas Linux is software developed by engineers all over the world.

Shareware is software that can be used for free for a certain period of time in order to give users the opportunity to try it. You might misunderstand shareware as meaning something like “I want to share the software I made, so let’s use it together.” Unfortunately, the real meaning is more along the lines of “try it once and then you have to pay if you like it!” That’s why companies often use the term “trial version” rather than “shareware.”

The term “beta” is also often used. Companies release beta versions of their software to obtain feedback from users prior to officially releasing the software. Companies improve their software based on user feedback. As the beta version is not stable, it may include bugs.

Most software for individuals is free, whereas most software for companies requires payment, which is why it is known as “commercial software.”

Problems such as a function not working are known as “bugs.” When these kinds of bugs are found, companies quickly fix them and make a “patch” program. Just like a piece of cloth can be added to a sock when it has a hole, a patch program is added to a main program to fix bugs.