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Is Beta Software Free???
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Diego
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Is commercial beta software free to download and use for an unlimited time? I assume they want feedback to fix bugs encountered. I am looking at Badia ContactPage XT 2.0b0 (beta) which sells for $70.
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First time Mac user iMAC G5 17" SuperDrive
Previous Windows 95-XP user
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jul 2005
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It depends. Most of the time, the betas are set to expire at a pre-determined date. As for the price, well that varies by developers as well. For the most part, betas are indeed free, but others will charge.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Beta software is software in its last testing phase.
That doesn't mean it's free or it's not free. And it doesn't say anything about whether it can be used a limited time or an unlimited time.
Software that sells for $70 is not "free" by my definition of the word.
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Yes, commercial beta software is almost always free. But no, you can't use it forever - it is equally almost always time-limited.
The deal being: you get to try out the software for free for a bit, and in exchange you can help the company with debugging if you wish.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Northwest Ohio
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Originally Posted by saddino
The deal being: you get to try out the software for free for a bit, and in exchange you can help the company with debugging if you wish.
Sometimes they may even give you a full license to the software for free (or a price break) if you contribute substantially to the debugging effort. (Not always, though).
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
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Not by definition, it isn't. Although some companies do make their beta software free to download and use -a practice sometimes called public beta or open beta- other companies do not. If a company has not specifically declared a beta to be public, then it is as illegal to download and use without payment and/or permission as any other software.
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You are in Soviet Russia. It is dark. Grue is likely to be eaten by YOU!
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Originally Posted by Millennium
Not by definition, it isn't. Although some companies do make their beta software free to download and use -a practice sometimes called public beta or open beta- other companies do not. If a company has not specifically declared a beta to be public, then it is as illegal to download and use without payment and/or permission as any other software.
Frequently betas are covered by non-disclosure agreements, too.
Anyway, I went to the Badia site and it's free to download the beta...
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Originally Posted by Millennium
Although some companies do make their beta software free to download and use -a practice sometimes called public beta or open beta
OS X Public Beta comes to mind...
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Addicted to MacNN
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OS X Public Beta wasn't a free download, it was a $30 purchase on CD... Although that entitled you to a $30 discount on the final release.
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Jun 2002
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...and why did I put that smiley there...???
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