The main reason I don't use commercial software is, I cant afford it. And I support the freeware, and open source movement.
I do use commercial software, but I also use and support freeware/open source. Sometimes it's really hard to resist to good commercial software. I can afford paying for it and especially for security software, but I do pay for freeware I like too. It's great to have freeware/open source for those who can't afford commercial products.
I fell off the commercial bandwagon long ago when some softs i purchased fell short to their "open source" counterparts and the freeware alternative proved in many cases to be more effective for my system without creating issues. The same still rings true today with many commercials IMO Let's face it, commercial programs are normally designed and better suited for business users in mind exclusively. Home table-top users on the other hand can just as well protect as efficiently with the free alternatives available plus those developers aren't neccessarily pressed with the same schedules, demands, and overhead costs that drive commercial groups. Many end users i talk with enjoy showing their appreciation to freeware developers by supporting those developments with donations. Personally? Like anyone, if a commerce is what i want i'll buy it, otherwise freeware is the rule and never an exception for my device.
I use the best tool for the job. At the office we use an open source firewall, Linux based. It's fantastic, free, and nothing can touch it in terms of stability. We use it at our clients too. For VOIP softphones, for example - yes, there are working free products - but they don't do what we need - so we use and recommend paid ones. I saw the other day a nice HTML/DHTML menu designer. $40+ dollars. We'll be buying that on Monday. Yes, my web developer can write the same thing, by hand... but if a $40 program saves him an hour's worth of work the first time, it's worth the money. I'm sure many of the developers here at Wilders might disagree with you there, as would anyone who has tried to use some of these products (including my own) in a corporate environment. Corporate/business users generally want centralised admin, management console, reporting and minimal user control. Most of the programs around here are about giving the user *back* control of their PC's. My 2c
I am sort of between a home and business user. I have a business I run from home, but essentially I treat my machine as a high end user. I like Mike simply go with the best whether free or not. Most of my security software is indeed paid with one exception. Lucidlink. That was offered free for use with only 3 "clients" so I used it. I would have gladly paid the $99 they said it was worth. Alas their marketing scheme didn't work out and now they have also closed down. Sad. Pete
The poll topic here is titled Why dont you use commercial programs? With that in mind i have honestly expressed my own impressions in answer. In that particular quote you point out for reference i express & share my own impressions that i have experienced over time. As you might expect it's vitally important for any product developers to both encourage and attract a satisfied audience and also maintain to keep their trust. This is likely more of demand for commercial then to freeware makers given the fact of alternatives made available from other sources, competitors and open source alike. So in that light commercial is also pressed with the task to place even more attention into what they do as well as keeping their users satisfied whomever that might be........ Theres no argument with that. In the term i use ("normally"), i choose to indicate that many factors enter the picture that make up a product's target audience. I don't care to bother with discussing how those approaches are intended because that can bring up the commerce end of matters again which is a very long line that runs all the way back to Microsoft's marketing ideas they fashioned at the very start after first introducing these OS models. In addition i also like to make mention that many consumers, including myself prefer the alternative environment that we been introduced to where we have available and dependable choices and are not surrounded nor held hostage to "paying" for certain protections for an investment that already can require regular funneling for upkeep & maintanence. I know that's not very capitalistic approach but then again some of us as concerns these electronic computers are better encouraged as well as inspired by creativity that's freely shared and not neccessarily constrained.
i use whatever software works best for me. sometimes it will be freeware othertimes it will be commercial software.
I am just an ordinary surfer and I think freewares is just enough for me. It depends really on how you select those high-quality freewares on the web... and there are lots of them. Aside from that I can borrow and got those other cd programs from my friends. If ever I've used my pc for some business related things and I felt that I really need it to make it to be tightly secured...then I have no other choice but to bought some quality commercial software programs...and that is not unless I could not really found some freewares that can do the same jobs for what it does. And if of course... if some of my friends out there could not provide me for what I need. Lastly, I would not buy a program that I didn't know about...coz first, I have to fall in love with her before I finally decided to put her in my palace..I mean..in my pc.
I have some commercial software, paid for it when i bought my pc (preinstalled OS etc). Would not buy new software very quickly because in general its overpriced. My brother bought Norton Internet security a few years ago and i didnt like that package.The firewall was hard to configure and seemed not solid. Renewal was very expensive and after a new subscribtion once or twice we couldnt subscribe anymore unless we upgraded wich was almost even expensive as a new cd/version out of the store.
I run Ubuntu and so far I have not had the need of commercial software, everything is in the repositories. But I actually wouldn't know where to buy them if I would want to ... I have no principle against commercial software. I'd gladly pay if I have to. Commercial or freeware doesnt matter as long as they do what I want.
If there is free alternative that works well, why bother using paid, instead I donate to the free developers to keep the project alive.
It's mostly an affordability issue for me. I will occasionally buy a license, but with the freeware choices available I don't pay for much of what I use.
Yes I use commersial software, Windows XP Pro and eComStation. Everything else I have on my computer(s) is either free, open source or shareware (that I paid for). Most of what I use is open source or free.
I used pirated software, because as a student, I could not afford to buy it and then I have realized, that I do not need ACDSee Proffessional to view images or Microsoft Office to write simple text documents, nor to use top pirated version like "Office 2100", just to be cool, so I switched to freeware, it was hard especially at the end, because what can be done with one paid aplications has to be done with multiple freeware splications, but when there is a will there is a way. As for now, I can afford to buy it, but I do not see why, since freeware does well enough, I buy only Windows, games or movies. Also I would find it difficult to steal something now, because of hard feelings, so I rather pay eventhough I know where to get a cracked soft, which actually works without a hassle unlike original.
Freeware Why? Plain and simple. I've been malware / virus free for YEARS using the net,so why change now No need for paying for programs to add layered protection either,just adds bloat to your operating system and it's not like your goin to be infected on a daily basis
I certainly do. I have a paid job, most of my applications are paid for, knowing that there are people behind them who spent long hours coding them. If you can't afford them it is fair enough to get freewares (which in many instances are as good as paid ones), but there is no excuse for piracy IMO. I do use some freewares: Karen's Replicator, Sysinternals (4 of them), CCleaner, StarOffice8 (got it from Google) but to give an example even though there are alternatives I could never give up something like ShadowProtect Desktop, it is worth its price.
