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1992-12-30
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WHAT IS SHAREWARE?
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Shareware is a unique marketing tool. With it prospective software buyers
can test and evaluate quality software. With it you purchase only the software
that you intend to continue using.
Commercial software marketed through traditional distribution channels can
cost anywhere between $30 and $500.00 retail. This price covers the high costs
of advertising, fancy packaging, printed manuals, binders, diskette duplic-
ation, user support, royalties, inventory maintenance, and retailer markup.
Royalties, or what the author receives, amounts to only a very small percentage
of the total cost to you.
As a shareware author, I have cut out most of the hidden costs of quality
software. You pay for printing the manual on your printer and for downloading
or other distribution costs, and I pass the savings onto you, the user.
You might have purchased a copy of my shareware product on a disk from a copy
and distribution service company for a disk fee. If that is true, then you
have chosen to do so instead of downloading this product from a Bulletin Board
System for free (not counting cost of the phone utilization). This is entirely
your own cost or consideration for the opportunity to evaluate my product be-
fore purchasing a license to use it. This cost is in addition to, and may not
be deducted from, the registration fee.
In other words, I am allowing you to use/test my product for a reasonable trial
period. If during that period you decide you don't want to run this program on
a continuous basis, then:
(1) Do not register it; and
(2) Delete the version you are running.
You do not have to be registered to place the file in your bulletin board's
files area. Indeed, I encourage that, and thank you for helping to distribute
this door if you do.
For continued use of my product, evaluators must register! That's how share-
ware works. If you aren't helping promote the concept, you're helping to kill
it.
WHAT IS REGISTRATION AND HOW IS IT ACCOMPLISHED?
------------------------------------------------
Registration is how evaluators purchase a license to use my product on one
computer for an unlimited period of time.
With commercial software, you first purchase one copy. Afterwards, you mail in
a registration postcard to register your copy in order to obtain certain
additional services, such as product support. With Shareware the process is
simpler. You buy the license to use it at the same time that you register.
To register simply fill out the attached registration form (ORDER.FRM) and send
it with payment to:
Kevin L. Higgins
Qtrs 7238B
Fort Carson, CO 80913
In the immortal words of Mssrs. Bartles and James: "Thanks for your support."