merry xmas from PC Mag???

Simon · Dec 17, 2003

seeing as the PC Mag utils get lots of mentions here thought this might be
of interest to the group (sourced from a ZDNet newsletter....)

<snip>

Really Free Software (At Least for a While)

This one's for everyone who complained about how we forced you to pay $5 a
month (or $20 a year) to get our award-winning PC Magazine Utilities. If
you're just not inclined to pay up front for software, we've got you
covered. We just launched an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware
library full of thousands of programs you can download and try -- without
spending a dime! Utilities, music, multimedia, programming, business, and
more -- it's all there. Happy Holidays!

</snip>

link is

http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-105-1-1-272375-4364-1

S

Harvey Van Sickle · Dec 17, 2003

On 17 Dec 2003, Simon wrote

seeing as the PC Mag utils get lots of mentions here thought this
might be of interest to the group (sourced from a ZDNet
newsletter....)

Really Free Software (At Least for a While)
-snip-

We just launched an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware
library

Oh, yippee! They've allowed people to download *shareware* without
charging them for the privilege!!

(A strange definition of "free software" they're using there...)

dkg_ctc · Dec 17, 2003

On 17 Dec 2003, Simon wrote

Oh, yippee! They've allowed people to download *shareware*
without charging them for the privilege!!

(A strange definition of "free software" they're using there...)

I think they missed the punctuation. It should have been: "Really?
Free Software?"

task two · Dec 17, 2003

On 17 Dec 2003, Simon wrote

seeing as the PC Mag utils get lots of mentions here thought this
might be of interest to the group (sourced from a ZDNet
newsletter....)

Really Free Software (At Least for a While)
-snip-

We just launched an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware
library

Oh, yippee! They've allowed people to download *shareware* without
charging them for the privilege!!

(A strange definition of "free software" they're using there...)

--
Cheers,
Harvey

Geez, wonder if their 'offerings' include any of their own PC Mag Utilities?
If so, go get 'em while you can.
I personally don't use any of the utilities so don't much care but others
could benefit.
And, as always, I'd really like to see a list of alternatives (freeware, of
course) to PC Mag Utilities.
For example:
PC Mag Utility Other Options
Inctrl Total Uninstall

etc., etc.

Stoney

Simon · Dec 18, 2003

I think they missed the punctuation. It should have been: "Really?
Free Software?"

ROFL

my bad???

perhaps I should have checked this out a little more before posting, but
to be frank, it was of little interest to me.

I only passed it along on account of the number of requests that are posted
for 1 or the other of their app's...

S

dkg_ctc · Dec 18, 2003

*snip*

ROFL

my bad???

*snip*

Well, it's not a biggy...you made a mistake. I was laughing more at
PC Magazine's free shareware than anything else. And anyways, maybe
someone will find something there useful, if not freeware.

Bebop & Rocksteady · Dec 18, 2003

Oh, yippee! They've allowed people to download *shareware* without
charging them for the privilege!!

(A strange definition of "free software" they're using there...)

Free WHERE

--
----------------------------------------
Quantum Illusions: http://quantum.2ya.com
FORT Freeware: http://freeware.quantum.2ya.com
Pegasus Mail Support Site: http://pegasus.quantum.2ya.com
DATA Solutions: http://datasolutions.quantum.2ya.com

If you truly want to contact me click the link
http://quantum.2ya.com/email.htm

Steven Burn · Dec 18, 2003

Simon said:
seeing as the PC Mag utils get lots of mentions here thought this might be
of interest to the group (sourced from a ZDNet newsletter....)

<snip>

Really Free Software (At Least for a While)

This one's for everyone who complained about how we forced you to pay $5 a
month (or $20 a year) to get our award-winning PC Magazine Utilities. If
you're just not inclined to pay up front for software, we've got you
covered. We just launched an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware
library full of thousands of programs you can download and try -- without
spending a dime! Utilities, music, multimedia, programming, business, and
more -- it's all there. Happy Holidays!

</snip>

Is this a joke?????

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

Disclaimer:
I know I'm probably wrong, I just like taking part ;o)

Mike · Dec 18, 2003

(A strange definition of "free software" they're using there...)

At least they are making it fairly clear that these are demo versions. I'm
one of the people who sent extremely irate (but polite) emails when they
started charging subscription fees for their "free software". So to me, the
efforts taken to make it clear what they mean is a win for the Freeware
community, in that there is one less group tainting the concept of freeware.

Susan Bugher · Dec 18, 2003

Simon said:
seeing as the PC Mag utils get lots of mentions here thought this might be
of interest to the group (sourced from a ZDNet newsletter....)

Really Free Software (At Least for a While)

This one's for everyone who complained about how we forced you to pay $5 a
month (or $20 a year) to get our award-winning PC Magazine Utilities.

forced? a little wishful thinking going on?

I suspect *most* people just said *no thanks* . . .

which wouldn't help the bottom line at all . . .

If
you're just not inclined to pay up front for software, we've got you
covered. We just launched an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware
library full of thousands of programs you can download and try -- without
spending a dime! Utilities, music, multimedia, programming, business, and
more -- it's all there. Happy Holidays!

IMO their next step will be to *force* you to pay $5 a month (or $20 a
year) to see the shareware library . . .

seems like the *logical*

extension of their current path . . .

Susan
--
Pricelessware: http://www.pricelessware.org
PL2003: http://www.pricelessware.org/2003/about2003PL.htm
PL2004 Review: http://www.pricelessware.org/2004/2004nominationsPL.php
alt.comp.freeware FAQ (short) - maintained by John F.
http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html

J. Yazel · Dec 18, 2003

Is this a joke?????

=================================

More important, is this dangerous?

The URL doesn't look like a PCMag URL to me.

If you download from it, you might wish you hadn't.

Jack

Steven Burn · Dec 18, 2003

ziffdavis is part of PC Mag (don't ask me how though........I've never been
able to work out the connection either, lol).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

Disclaimer:
I know I'm probably wrong, I just like taking part ;o)

omega · Dec 18, 2003

The URL redirects to: http://shareware.pcmag.com/

I just spent my first and last 2 seconds on that page.

ziffdavis is part of PC Mag (don't ask me how though........I've never been
able to work out the connection either, lol).

Where it was really confusing was when PCMag wasn't and then was and then
wasn't related to ZDNet, not to mention the morphing relations over time
re ZDNet and Ziff Davis.

At present, it's like this:

Ziff Davis Holdings Inc owns Ziff Davis Media owns PC Magazine.

http://www.ziffdavis.com/about/index.asp?page=companyprofile

It wasn't easy to find that page. Putting in <http://www.ziffdavis.com>, that
gives me only an essentially blank page, and trying index.htm and similar on
it doesn't help. It's one of those mega-retards that says "Either let me
seize your browser with a Flash movie, or leave me standing blank."

When I looked at source of the ziffdavis home page, in hopes of finding a
functional URL, that lead to a new question. While we know PC Mag and Ziff
Davis... just how involved is... "RedSheriff Customer Intelligence"?

<img
src=http://server-us.imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin/count?cid=us_us-zdmkeycode_0
width=1 height=1>


I sped off, hoping they didn't have time to read my license plate.

dkg_ctc · Dec 18, 2003

*snip*

=================================

More important, is this dangerous?

No more dangerous than the software that's listed.

The URL doesn't look like a PCMag URL to me.

Ziff Davis is the parent company of PC Magazine. Further, clicking
the link redirects you to a page on http://shareware.pcmag.com/.

If you download from it, you might wish you hadn't.

Only if you're expecting freeware and get shareware instead.

Jordan · Dec 18, 2003

dkg_ctc said:
Only if you're expecting freeware and get shareware instead.

From:
Greg Wolking
Moderator, PC Magazine Discussions
http://discuss.pcmag.com/n/main.asp?webtag=pcmag&nav=start&msg=32376

Technically, it's neither freeware nor shareware. This applies to all of the
utilities in our library:

Since you must pay to subscribe to the Utilities Library in order to
download the utilities in the first place, they're not completely free. Once
you download, there are no additional registration fees or time limits
involved in their use and there are no "license keys" required to install
them. They're free for you to use from then on.

The license agreement for PC Magazine Utilities prohibits you from
distributing them in any form. You're not allowed to give copies to anyone
else, so they're not "shareware".

Alastair Smeaton · Dec 18, 2003

From:
Greg Wolking
Moderator, PC Magazine Discussions
http://discuss.pcmag.com/n/main.asp?webtag=pcmag&nav=start&msg=32376

Technically, it's neither freeware nor shareware. This applies to all of the
utilities in our library:

Since you must pay to subscribe to the Utilities Library in order to
download the utilities in the first place, they're not completely free. Once
you download, there are no additional registration fees or time limits
involved in their use and there are no "license keys" required to install
them. They're free for you to use from then on.

The license agreement for PC Magazine Utilities prohibits you from
distributing them in any form. You're not allowed to give copies to anyone
else, so they're not "shareware".

Jordan - are you quoting Greg here ?

If so, then ask him why was this stuff described as "We just launched
an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware library " and as "really
free software"

Jordan · Dec 19, 2003

Alastair said:
Jordan - are you quoting Greg here ?

If so, then ask him why was this stuff described as "We just launched
an extensive (and I mean extensive) shareware library " and as "really
free software"

Yes, I was quoting him from a post on the PC Magazine Utility Discussion
list. If you'd like, feel free to reply to him by going to
http://discuss.pcmag.com/pcmag/messages?msg=32376.21
There's a reply button at the bottom of his post but you'll have to register
first.

merry xmas from PC Mag???

Simon

Harvey Van Sickle

dkg_ctc

task two

Simon

dkg_ctc

Bebop & Rocksteady

Steven Burn

Mike

Susan Bugher

J. Yazel

Steven Burn

omega

dkg_ctc

Jordan

Alastair Smeaton

Jordan