Ways to Save Money on Software

Aside from the computer software that comes loaded on most new PCs, opting to buy additional software applications for your computer can be an expensive venture. In fact, the overall costs for software often exceed the cost of the computer itself.

Before running out and paying outrageous prices for software, we need to review how software is categorized for purposes of distribution. After all, why pay the full price when less costly alternatives might be available.

For instance, educational software is for teaching or self-learning. Educational software is typically sold at huge discounts as compared to retail pricing for the full product. However, educational software may or may not contain all of the features offered in the full product.

Licensing terms vary widely even within the same category of software, therefore, always read the license agreement before acquiring and installing any software. Here are some additional categories:

Open-source - relating to source code that is available to the public: an open-source operating system or applications software.

Freeware - computer software distributed without charge.

Shareware - computer software distributed without initial charge but for which the user is encouraged to pay a nominal fee to cover support for continued use.

Attribution: Definitions courtesy of Dictionary.com - An Ask.com Service.

Remember now that we are talking about applications software not operating system software; this post is not about how Linux can take the place of Windows. Probably one of the best examples of an open-source alternative to an expensive applications platform is Open Office available from OpenOffice.org versus Microsoft Office, which is readily available at Microsoft's online Microsoft Store.

Review Ware? Recently we encountered what would typically be categorized as freeware, or maybe shareware; the software was free to download, install and use without any restrictions.

The author of the software only asked that if you were satisfied, or even dissatisfied with the software that you return to their website and leave a comment containing your review of their application. That was a small price to pay for what turned out to be a useful application.

Discounts, sales and promos - Always check retailers and manufacturers' website for sales, discounts and other promotions. In addition, it never hurts to call their sales department and ask if you can get a discount. Often sales personnel know of discounts they can offer that are not publicized.

A few words of caution: Downloading, installing and evaluating freeware and similar forms of software can be habit forming. Before you know it, your entire hard drive becomes home for countless orphaned applications; applications you never use because you forget that they are even there.

Check back with our blog often since our future posts will become progressively more informative and detailed. Posts planned for the near future include topics like software acquisition through volume licensing and discounts, reviews of different software applications and reviews of websites where you can get the best free downloads.