The Shareware Genie:
Shareware Downloads and Reviews
The Shareware Genie offers dozens of programs to add to the productivity and enjoyment of your overall PC experience. You will find dozens of shareware programs in many categories that you can evaluate before buying them.
The Shareware Advantage
People often buy software only to find out that it doesn't have just the features they want. Once the box is opened, you own it, you can't return it and your money is gone. The shareware approach stops this by allowing users to evaluate the program for awhile before deciding whether to register it or not. The only complaint ever heard with this system is that the evaluation period expires before users really get a feel for the program.
Reviews Help You Get Started
The evaluation process takes two steps:
1) Find out what the program does and how to do it
2) Use the program to see if it does what you specifically want it to do
In many cases, users get so bogged down with the first section that they never get to the second. Our reviews are designed to prevent this by giving examples for users to follow. When applicable, our reviews also help with configuration, point toward needed drivers, and post workarounds to minor bugs we may find. By quickly getting a feel for the program, you can spend more time seeing if it can be adapted to your specific needs.
Information Pages Help With Setup
You can't evaluate any program if you can't get it to work due to configuration problems. The truth is that configuring anything on your PC is easy ... after you've done it once. The problem with many software publishers is they forget the average user may not be familiar with things the publishers use every day. We try to anticipate these problems and create information pages that may help. Configuring usenet and ODBC isn't rocket science but it's nice to have some guidelines to get you on your way.
No Repeats
Some shareware sites try to bury you with dozens of programs that do the same thing and are separated only by an arbitrary rating system. The Shareware Genie tries to select only the best of a certain type of program. Some programs may seem similar but each offers a unique solution that may be the one to best match your needs and experience level. For example, those needing a zip program to work with numerous types of files would find PicoZip a good choice while those wanting jpeg compression of 80% without image degradation would find Super Compressor a better value.
Casual Games - Innovative and Challenging
There's no doubt that the platform of choice for game developers has passed from the PC long ago but a host of new casual games prove that PC games are far from dead. If you haven't looked at casual games in awhile, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Once thought to be substandard and dull, casual games have recently shown themselves to be extremely innovative, very challenging, and appeal to a growing number of users. To meet this need, our updated games section offers over 1100 hundred games for PCs and over 200 games for Macs. Take a look at our new Casual Games page. You can download any game and play for free for as long as 120 minutes.
Registration
If you decide you want to continue using a program after the evaluation period, you must register it. Registration is done by clicking the "Buy" buttons in the application itself. If you have an internet connection open, this will open a series of secure registration windows that will allow you to safely pay for the program. There are a few cases, such as the Creative Suite, where you have to return to The Shareware Genie website to register a program. Cases such as these are infrequent and clearly marked.
Beyond Shareware
Innovative shareware can solve problems that aren't addressed by major software publishers and make projects at both work and home easier. Sometimes, a program isn't enough. We would like to introduce our visitors to hardware and internet services that can further enhance your PC experience.
Hardware
You can't really take advantage of webcam shareware without a webcam. We post links to suppliers that offer genuine values through high quality and low cost. Affiliate sites such as Shareware Genie often get special offers that not offered directly on sites we link to. Check back often for our specials.
Online Sevices
Some projects require hardware that you don't want to buy and the internet is full of sites that offer services at reasonable costs. Large prints of pictures, DVD duplicate, and game rentals are just a few of these services.
RSS, Forum & News Page Keeps You Up To Date
Your time is valuable so we've tried to make it as easy as possible to keep up with recent changes. Recent changes can be found on our "News" page and on the RSS feed. Additional information can be found on our "Forum". While your there, feel free to leave your comments or questions.
Questions? Need Help??
If you need help, remember that we're here to answer your questions and forward suggestions to the shareware publishers. Feel free to use the forum or to send us an email.
Thank you for your interest in The Shareware Genie.
