Who Else Wants a Free Download?

One of the biggest requests on the Internet is for free computer software downloads. There are literally thousands of sites that allow you to download software for free. I’ve listed three at the end of this article. However, before you rush out and fill you computer with all those free programs, you need to know about two types of software.

Freeware

The first type of software is called “Freeware”. This is a software program that you do not pay for. However, when you get software for “nothing”, you sometimes have to be careful.

Many people that write freeware software include some type of banner advertisements as part of their program download. This is called “adware”. That means as you use the program a pop-up or window advertisements will be displayed. The author hopes you will click on the advertisement and purchase something. If you do, then the author gets a commission from the company. In some cases there is a “catch”. Some of these programs gather information about your computer and/or surfing habits without your knowledge. This information is then sent back to the company to help them to know how to better “market” their products to you.

Occasionally, a freeware program may have a virus or include malicious programming code. These can cause havoc to your computer. That free program won’t be so cheap if you have to pay a technician to work on your computer.

Shareware

The second type of program is called “Shareware”. These are software programs you can download and try out for free. The author wants to give you some time to see if his/her program is what you really want. Test it out, enter some data, print some reports. Try to give it a real workout. Then, if the program meets or exceeds your expectation, pay for the downloaded program. Otherwise, after a specified period of time, the program may not continue to work… and if it does, you will not be able to ask the author for help on the program. If you find that a program really does benefit you, the nominal charge for registering (paying for) a free shareware download is usually worth the cost.

The general guideline, about downloading free programs, is to learn about the Internet site or the company that produces the program before you download. This will save you a lot of time and potential headaches.

Here are three reliable sites where you can download software programs for free:

www.download.cnet.com/windows/

www.tucows.com

www.freewarefiles.com

About The Author:

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ez-software-review.com. Learn how to purchase cheap, reliable and quality software for your home, school and business.