Syllabus
Licencing of software; 11 ATAR, 12 GEN
- open and closed source
- proprietary
- shareware
- freeware
Background
- computer software has different licence types
- this is because software has different developers and purposes
- some are made by large companies and they offer excellent support for problems = big $$$$$$$
- some are made by single persons who give away their software and can't afford a 'help' desk = small $$$
Software Open Source
- the code that made the software is available, it is NOT secret
- no licence needed
- free to use
- minimal support
Software Closed Source
- The code that made the software is NOT available, it is a secret
- licence must be purchased to use it
Software Proprietary
- is closed source software made by a company to make a profit
- eg are Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office and lots of others
- because you pay for it, it usually has very good support and regular updates
Software Shareware
- copyrighted software
- a type of proprietary software
- a type of closed source software
- free for a trial period, then you must pay for it, or uninstall it
- usually limited functionality
Software Freeware
- copyrighted software
- free to use
- usually has a freeware version, free. But also a better 'pay for it' version
- they give a free version to attract you to buy the 'pay for it' version
- usually distributed in computer magazines or when you buy a digital camera, they give you a freeware version
For You To Do
- Explain in your own words the difference between open source and closed source software.
- Explain in your own words the difference between shareware, freeware.
- Explain the $$$$$$ for proprietary software and the link to better support.
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