mos_8502 :verified: on Nostr: Back in the 80s and early 90s, most people didn't *have* an Internet connection at ...
Back in the 80s and early 90s, most people didn't *have* an Internet connection at home. If you wanted to get software, you had to buy it.
One of the cheapest ways was shareware -- software licensed for distribution by anyone, usually but not always in the form of demo versions. Companies would download shareware, package it on floppy, and sell it in retail stores (not just computer stores, more like pharmacies and grocery stores!) for a few dollars.
This is my best example of the phenomenon, as it still has the original retail packaging.
One of the cheapest ways was shareware -- software licensed for distribution by anyone, usually but not always in the form of demo versions. Companies would download shareware, package it on floppy, and sell it in retail stores (not just computer stores, more like pharmacies and grocery stores!) for a few dollars.
This is my best example of the phenomenon, as it still has the original retail packaging.