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What! I can’t really believe I am asking this question. The time now is about 4:30pm (GMT) and I am in Super Fast Internet (Galax) opposite Fotabe House, Molyko Buea. When I told Mambe Nanje Churchill of AfroVisioN the title of this post and told him that is what I wanted to write on, he told me “you’re crazy, men, asking people if they have ever bought software”?

Hmmm. What was I thinking? Have I ever bought software? You really don’t expect me to answer that now, do you?

Just search Google for free software, and I bet you will find as many as you want. I believe there really is free software for almost ever application or process you can imagine. The vast availability of free software forces many people never to dream, even for a second, about paying for software.

Free software is generically classified into freeware and shareware. Freeware is completely “free” of charge while shareware is free only partly, either in functions (Demos) or period of use (Trial versions). Most people have the tendency of always going in for free software and will consider paying for software.

As long as the following points remain true, I guess 80% of web users will never ever be willing to buy software:

1. There are lots and lots of free software on the internet. Why paid when you can legally have it for free?
2. Most of the demo versions of software on the internet offer the basic functions needed by users and they therefore find no reason to upgrade to paid versions.
3. The use of some software are occasional. This helps break the 15 and 30 day limits set for free trials. Finish the job before 15 days and bang you go.
4. Most software start as freeware before going commercial. Most people still prefer using the very old versions that are free than paying for the fantastic recent releases.
5. File sharing has made it possible for two or more people to use software that was bought for just a single user.
6. Some software users prefer searching the internet for free serials, cracks and keygens, and even cracked software rather than paying for them.
7. Some software users have developed means of doing away with software limitations even without the use of cracks and serials.

Although there many ways to avoid buying software, some of the means are either unethical or illegal. It is always good to play safe and spend a few dollars than falling into trouble.

Even if you can successfully go free all the time, why not make a small gesture by tipping a few dollars top these hardworking software developers once in a while?