What exactly is computer software? For those of you who have limited knowledge of computers, software is basically a collection of programs, documentation and procedures that perform any tasks on a computer system. You may think of these softwares as the mind of the computer that has the job of running all of the applications on a computer. More importance is attached to computer software when it comes to wanting to connect to the Internet.

With so much software that is available for computers today, how does one know what software is safe and reliable? That is a very big question today as a lot of software can have spyware and adware attached to it which will make your computer go buggy! Should you spend all of your hard-earned money buying every piece of software that your hear desires, or should you try to download some free software that you will find online and save yourself some bucks? There are basically two kinds of free software which you will now learn about.

One kind of copyrighted software is called freeware which is made available for your use, free of charge, for an unlimited period of time. In order for software to be classified as freeware it must be made available at no cost to the user and for an unlimited amount of time. Do not be confused with the terms freeware and free software. They are not the same thing. The authors of freeware want to make sure that they retain control for its development in the future.

A program is constituted as free software only if users can study, use, redistribute copies, improve upon the software and then release it to the public. One of the necessary conditions for free software is the accessibility of a source code.

Another type of copyrighted computer software is called shareware. It is made available to users free of charge, but then after the trial period is over, the user must pay a fee for additional functionality. This is a marketing method that is used to get people to buy computer software that they have already been thinking about purchasing. This approach is the try it before you buy it approach.

Today, Shareware and freeware software is usually obtained free of charge simply by downloading it from the Internet. The very first shareware programs that were distributed way back when were done so over bulletin board systems, on CD's and diskettes. As the Internet usage grew, users began downloading these shareware and freeware software programs without having to pay long-distance charges or disk fees.

The Internet also makes it very easy to locate niche software. Freeware, free software and shareware are all quality software that is offered either for free or at very reasonable prices. If you are tired of buying software at retail prices, then you will want to definitely discover the world of freeware.

Only purchase software when you are sure it is what you want. You will be able to find the most popular and best kinds of software available today when looking through the tons of freeware and software titles on the Internet. Let your fingers do the walking on the Internet to find the software that best suites your wants and needs!