Kagi
KagiFor BeBox Shareware Authors
Kagi is a shareware registration service that can accept a variety of payments from shareware users. Kagi handles all aspects of registering shareware; collection of payer information, processing of payments, replies to payers, detailed accounting to shareware authors, site license invoicing, etc. The idea is to make it easier for everyone involved with shareware: easier for users to pay shareware fees by providing a variety of payment methods; easier for shareware authors by lightening the administrative burden.
Supported platforms include Macintosh, Newton, Windows, and now BeOS. The Kagi Web Site has an FAQ which explains a lot more than I describe here. Shareware authors include a Register application with their product and refer users to it in their documentation. The Register app guides users through submitting their payment information to Kagi by check, credit card, cash in multiple currencies, or First Virtual accounts. The information can be relayed by the Postal Service, E-Mail, FAX, or the BeOS E-Mail services. Kagi also provides website based registration.
Contrasted with other web-based registration services, Kagi allows your potential customers to easily select the method of payment most convenient to them.
1.0 Release
Here is the 1.0 release of the Kagi author package for BeOS DR8, so early shareware publishers on BeOS can evaluate whether it is right for their products and start making use of the service (173K):
The release also contains an Author app to edit the Register app's resources, which is how you customize it for your products. Some Read Me files are included as instructions.
I've created a bunch of screen shots of the Register app in action, if you just want to take a peek, or if you are thinking about using the service but don't have your BeBox yet. See the Kagi Overview page.
Unpacking
The downloaded file is a Star Code Installer, so you should run setfile on it:
cd (wherever Kagi-1.0.install is located) setfile Kagi-1.0.installThen go to the Browser and open the application. You will be able to choose where to put the Kagi-1.0 folder. You should see the Register and Author applications, and a few text files in the directory for you to read.