How to choose the best software
Types of software | Software service | Software choosing | Computer games | Software systems and tools| Interest and entertainment | Business solutions | Education software | Science and Engineering software | Comparison Shopping | What to do after purchasing software| Tips |
Choosing category or subcategory: Because software is usually classified in different ways, the table below may guide you in the process of choosing your software, or narrow the field of your search.
Computer games. Computers and gaming have almost become interrelated with each other. For many of us it is obvious that playing computer games is what originally made us interested in computers. Now, among millions of individuals who sit in front of a computer, a vast majority would acknowledge that they are still addicted to gaming experiences on computers for long hours.. Since the earliest invention of games in computers there was created many types of games Action games, Arcade games, Educational games, Fantasy games, Games for kids, War games, Strategy games, Role-playing games, Sports games . Computer games can now be obtained from web free of charge, such as, Monster Truck Games
Software systems/tools:
Operating systems , Software development kits, Compilers, Computer languages, Computer Graphics, ,Utilities, Screen Savers, Backup tools, Network Management software, Internet and Intranet, Voice recognition applications
Interest/Entertainment: E-books, Software for Home/Family, Travel Guides, Religion literature, Movies, Music
Business solutions: Financial tools and systems, Business management software, Databases, Presentation tools, Spreadsheets, Office suites
Education and Training : Preschool tutors, K-12 tutors, Languages translators and tutors, Certification tools, Training courses, e-learning systems
Science and Engineering: Math, Statistical Analysis and Prognosis systems, Expert systems, Voice and Image Recognition Systems, CAD/CAM/CAE systems, GIS, Simulation systems, SCADA
Any software buyer may encounter on the market the following types available software: freeware, shareware, retail software, upgrades/patches, and so on.
Freeware means no charge, no registration, but also no support. Some restrictions for use and copying may apply. Many retailers suggest freeware such as screensavers, games, internet tools, editors, etc. Usually, the customer must pay only for delivery. Freeware, called also public domain software, may be freely copied and used in any way without restriction or payment of registration fees. Some companies suggest demonstration (demoware) or evaluation version, that is free for download and use. Usually these are not full versions with some features disabled.
Shareware is named from the fact that the programmers want to share the software with consumers. Many shareware authors rely on the honor system for people to pay them. Shareware carries a "free trial" period during which the user is invited to test and use the program. Sometimes shareware doesn't have restriction of usage time. A shareware program is fully functional and usually include messages, reminding you that you haven’t yet paid for the program you are running. When you do finally pay, you will get the version of the program without the reminders! Be aware, because in most cases shareware programs are either super new programs, alpha and beta - versions, or obsolete programs, that can be incompatible with your newest operating system.
Retail Software (commercial software) is the software that you buy from the company or its dealers, and pay for it. This type of software must be licensed, and has copyright and support. In the last years many Internet vendors often suggested for commercial software to use the shareware principle: "Try and buy".
Upgrades/Patches are not usually complete programs. Basically, upgrade version requires that you already should have programs on your computer. This is the reason why upgrades are cheaper than full version. Some companies (for example, Microsoft) instead release new versions using patches. The patch alters the software, either correcting a mistake in the system, or adding additional functionality to the software.
Software service (ASP models of software industry)
By now, everyone is familiar with the term Application Service Provider (ASP). Many people encountered with this model using Windows, TurboTax (Intuit) or Anti-Virus programs (Seagate or McAfee). A well-tuned ASP development and deployment operation can release new codes every week. This ability to quickly fix bugs, to make user interface enhancements and to add new functionality in response to customer requests is one of the key advantages of ASP. In order to fully leverage this capability, the ASP must develop a closed feedback loop with its customers, where suggestions are openly accepted and systematically reviewed and prioritized for incorporation.
Software choosing: Software can be chosen: at first when you buy a computer (pre-loaded software), or on request.
Pre-loaded software. Because as a rule this software is free (included in the purchase price), your main task is to chose an operating system for your needs. If this operating system is Windows XP, you need to pick between the Home Edition and the Professional Edition. Windows XP Professional contains all the features of Windows XP Home Edition, plus extra features for business and advanced home computing.
Custom Software solution. To customize the software to suit your needs, every time you must consider the following questions:
What kind of software origination do you prefer (Newest, Valid, but not the latest version, some from each)?
What manufacturer do you prefer (Microsoft, McAfee, Adobe, etc.- see below )?
What type of software do you prefer (Freeware, Shareware, Try and Buy, Leasing, Commercial)?
What retailer do you prefer ( Computer manufacturer, Chumbo, Amazon, ..., cheaper, "no preference")?
What distribution method do you prefer? (CD by mail, download, etc.).
Most popular software manufacturers:
Activision
Adobe
Apple (Software for Mac)
Autodesk
Canon
Corel
Diskeeper
EMC Insignia
Filemaker
IBM
Intuit
Kaspersky
McAfee
Microsoft
Nuance
Tips: To find , install and use the right software without serious problems, you need to pay attention to the following information (requirements):
Operating system (Windows XP or Windows 7, MAC OS, OS/2, UNIX, for home or for business, etc)
Type of processor ( Intel; AMD, etc. ) or its characteristics: speed, memory size, etc
Embedded or peripheral devices (type of sound or video cards, type of printer or scanner, etc.)
Protocol ( for networking products)
Type of license (complete package, volume license, value license program, additive license, etc.)
Method of installation and uninstallation (absence of UNINSTALL function may give problems in the process of upgrading or swapping of an application)
Version number ( sometimes version may say very much about the quality of product)
Architecture (client/server, standalone)
Distribution media : CD , DVD, Blue-Ray
License pricing
License QTY ( for one user, for 5 users, for 10 users, etc)
Minimum of hard drive spare space
Peripheral service devices (external CD burner, storage device for data base or backup)
Type and version of Internet Service Provider (for Internet oriented product - Netscape or Internet Explorer )
Warranty / Service / Support including the methods and prices of updating or upgrading
Don't make mistakes:
Where you can, " try before you buy", that will ensure you won’t buy something you don’t like. Be aware: now many software companies short their own Quality Assurance Groups and testers. This could deteriorate the quality of their products.
Don't buy obsolete version of software product
If you need software system for manufacturing process of your company, buy a minimum alien program, because life is changing ,and you will depend on the developer of these programs
Technical support and warranty considerations are the key factors. Keep in mind, that a computer is a very complex machine. To sleep easily, you must have a warranty. The period of the warranty must be no more than 2-3 years, because beyond this time, the computers will become obsolete. Some computer manufacturers such as Dell, offers customers an option of purchasing additional warranties and on-site service.
Feature comparison: If you find something, don't hurry to buy it. Perhaps this product is manufactured by different companies. You need to choose the product with the best quality. Therefore, as the next step, you must make a feature comparison. If it possible, the best way is use of principle "try before buy" for products of the different companies. Another way is to use different kinds of software review, reference sites, or vendor's information. Since not all vendors give complete volume of information about product's features, it is preferable to select a vendor who gives more information about its products. The reputation of the Manufacturer or the Vendor is also very important.
To evaluate the quality of software you can try to find some information about the given product on the following sites:
www.zdnet.com (for the most popular software)
For evaluation and comparison of the business software, we may recommend you the following sites:
What to do after purchasing the software
Software installation: The most common type of installation is media based installation. For installation you must insert media such as diskette, CD or DVD in the slot of your computer, and follow instructions. You can encounter 2 types of software: with and without self extraction. In the first case, you use the command "Setup", in the second case, you need to repackage application with the help of the different kinds of unzip programs: WinZip, WinRAR, and so on. Web based software installation is a very convenient method. Many vendors (first of all- Microsoft) created well organized interface. User needs only to click on option "Download" and follow instructions. The problems with this type of installation come up when you introduce firewalls and strict security.
Upgrading. Upgrade means a change of the obsolete version to the new one. Usually, to be available for upgrading, you need to register your product after purchasing it.
Purchasing of related products
Very often companies create packages or families of software products that solve closed tasks. For example Segue, Inc. created several automation test tools such as SilkTest, Test Performers, Silk Pilot, etc. If you buy SilkTest, you probably need to buy Test Performer and Silk Pilot. Deep Paint is an outstanding Companion program used with Adobe Photoshop. Macro System created bundle of analyzing programs on the basis of Microsoft Excel. Several companies sell related products as a package. For example, Symantec sometimes includes in one package the following tools: Norton Antivirus, Norton Utilities, Norton Clean Sweep, Norton Ghost.
Many applications from Microsoft have the association of contiguity. The Microsoft Office package includes related products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage, and so on. Many applications created on the basis of a defined operating system, and their performances depends on the type of operating system. Changes to the operating system can demand changes to the given application.
