What about free software?

Another example is 'Roboform'...

It also has a 'Freeware' Version and a 'Premium' version...

When I ran out of log-ins in the 'Freeware' I liked it enough to check out the cost of the Premium...

Simply put I couldn't afford the 'Premium' version for what it 'bought' me...

So, I stored my non-essential log-in information in a 'Secure Note'...

But, I still get all those nags about adding everything to a Log-In...

Of course with *my* memory... I *really* DO need something like the 'Premium Version'!

 

Some companies, or more correctly organizations, have no desire to make a profit off of the software. Some people actually spend hours and days working on a program knowing that they will never get compensated for their labor. I am sure that the reasons why people do this is as varied as the reasons people get involved with church related things.

Some companies make money by name recognition and selling other related products

As a software developer, one of the advantages that I see with developing free software is that one can get wide distribution of the software without being under the gun to correct the defects quickly to prevent the loss of profits. Free software can be released as and Alpha or Beta version and if it works great if not the producer doesn't have to refund anyone's money. It is a whole lot less stressful and the programmer is rewarded because one of his programs is used by people around the world. In spite of what people say, money is not the only motivation for writing software.

 

Look at Mozilla, its a bunch of nerds who used to work for Netscape, couldn't sell their clearly better product over microsloth's monopolistic deadlock, and made tons of money off their other products, Directory servers, portal software, mail servers and clients, all of which they sold as the IPlanet suite to Sun Micro, who has improved it and combined it with several other software companies stuff and created the Sun Java Enterprise System, and all the retired Netscape guys started improving on the core of their broswer, got millions of open source developers to help them, and have created from that, a larger threat to Microsofts Browser lock in than any corporation has every put out. ITs not about the money, they already have that. Its about betterment of technology, and creating something that is what the customer wants.

Quite a few other companies to it to promote their for fee software, which can work, but most often I think does not.