Rant about "free"ware software downloads

Have to disagree with this one when it comes to my cell phone or otherwise. I've downloaded many sampler apps into my phone (for full-featured apps that's when you have to pay) plus I've downloaded many videos for free into my cell. Then I'm getting channels for free through my digital converter, I can go into my local Shoprite for free food samples and so on.

I'm afraid you are not understanding the concept of fre enterprise... Free samples at the Shoprite induce you to buy the products which you just sampled... just like the heroine dealer who hands out the first hit or two for nothing-- once you are hopoked, he knows you will pay plenty to continue using his product.

Sampler apps and shareware (as opposed to honest-to-god freeware) get you using the software, in the hope that you will purchase the full version. It is a very sensible and successful business model.

yes, there is some good freeware out there. There is crappy freeware, as well... some of it is just off-the-cuff code that got a task done for one person but is not good enough to sell, some is abandonware that is no longer useful for any but a hnadful of users, and there is the 'free' software that is used to hide malware-- so-called Trojans.

It is a sad fact of life that some things have to come with a price, otherwise it is viewed with suspicion.
 
This is why so many people have "slow" computers. They just go on through and install anything and don't read anything when installing and you end up with 5 toolbars that the average computer user doesn't know how to get rid of. Even with some programs, I think AVG got bad about this, you can uncheck the install toolbar, but it installs anyway. Most programs like to go in and put themselves on your Windows program startup list. Adobe, Java, iTunes, Cyberlink, and plenty of other stuff that has no need to start when the computer turns on has several entries in the startup list...

My parents went to visit my grandma, and my dad used her computer. He said there was 3-4 toolbars that took up almost 1/4 the screen, and the computer was unbelievably slow. Had I gone up there with them I would have fixed it for her. All it is is a bunch of programs all running in the background for no reason. This is why those people can buy more RAM and actually notice a performance boost. Not because the computer is getting older and they need more, but because all the background programs are using up the available RAM, so adding more gives you some extra free RAM to use until that's filled with more background crap...
 
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