Beta? Demo? Fully understand the software version identifier)

You may have noticed that the software is often labeled with the version information of Beta, demo, and other software versions. These version information actually has its internal meaning. Below we will give you a detailed introduction to some common software version information.

· Test and demo versions

Alpha version

This version indicates that the software is only a preliminary finished product. It is usually only communicated within the software developer, and a few of them are released to professional testers. In general, this version of software has many bugs, and it is recommended that you do not install it.

Beta

This version has been greatly improved compared with alpha version, eliminating serious errors, but there are still some defects that need to be further eliminated through large-scale release tests. This version is usually released free of charge by software companies and can be downloaded from related sites. Through tests by professional enthusiasts, the results are fed back to developers and developers can make targeted changes. This version is not suitable for general users.

Gamma

This version is quite mature and is almost the same as the official version to be released. If you can't wait, try it out.

Trial (trial version)

Trial software has been quite popular in recent years, mainly thanks to the rapid development of the Internet. This version of the software usually has a time limit. If you want to continue using it after expiration, you generally have to pay a certain fee for registration or purchase. Some Trial software also imposes certain functional limitations.

Unregistered (unregistered Version)

The Unregistered version is very similar to the trial version, but the unregistered version usually has no time limit. In terms of functions, it imposes certain restrictions on the formal version, such as the registration version and unregistered version of the vast majority of VoIP Software, there is a big gap between the two in terms of call quality. Some of them are similar to the official version, but an annoying message box will pop up to remind you to register, such as ACDSee and smart Chen Qiao Chinese Character Input Software.

Demo Version

It is also known as the demo version, which is the most popular among non-official software. The demo version only integrates several functions in the official version, which is a bit like unregistered. The difference is that the demo version cannot be changed to the official version by upgrading or registering it.

The above are the previous versions of the software official version. Alpha, beta, and gamma can be called test versions. There will always be multiple test versions of mature software, such as Windows 98 beta version, there are nearly 10. So many beta versions, on the one hand, try to satisfy the user's needs for the final product, and on the other hand, minimize bugs in the software. Trial, unregistered, and demo are sometimes collectively referred to as the demo version. These versions have a strong color of advertisement and are a bit preemptible. For ordinary users, they can naturally enjoy them for free.

· Official version

The official versions of different types of software are also different.

Release

This version means "the final release version". After a series of Beta versions, there will eventually be an official version. for users, the software purchased for this version will never be wrong. This version is also known as the Standard Edition. In general, release does not appear on the software cover in the form of words, instead of symbols (R), such as Windows NT (r) 4.0, MS-DoS (r) 6.22.

Registered

Obviously, this version is the registration version relative to unregistered. The registration and release versions are the same as the standard versions mentioned below. They are all official versions of the software, but a large part of the predecessor of the registration software is downloaded from the Internet.

Standard

This is the most common Standard Edition, No matter what software, the Standard Edition must exist. The standard edition includes the basic components of the software and some common functions to meet the needs of general users. Its price is relatively higher than that of the first-level version.

Deluxe

As its name implies, it is the "deluxe edition ". The deluxe edition is generally compared with the Standard Edition. The main difference is that there are several more features, and the price will certainly be higher than a large one. It is not recommended for general users. This version is usually prepared for professional users who are pursuing "perfection.

Reference

This version is common in encyclopedias and is famous for Microsoft's Encarta series. Reference is the highest level. Its subject, image, and video editing have greatly increased compared with standard and deluxe versions, and the capacity has increased from one disc to three, and added strong interaction functions, of course, expensive. That can be said, this version of encyclopedia can be regarded as a real encyclopedia, and it is also the first choice for enthusiasts to collect.

Professional (Professional Edition)

The Professional Edition is for some specific development tools and software. Many of the content in the Professional Edition is not available in the Standard Edition, which is extremely important for a professional software developer. For example, Microsoft's Visual FoxPro Standard Edition does not have the ability to compile into executable files, which is obviously intolerable for a complete development project. It cannot be used without FoxPro on the client. If you use the Professional Edition, there will be no such problem.

Enterprise Edition)

The Enterprise Edition is the best in development software (equivalent to the reference edition in the encyclopedia ). With a set of such software, you can develop any level of application software without any obstacles. For example, the famous visual c ++ Enterprise Edition has added several additional features compared with the Professional Edition, such as SQL debugging, extended stored procedure wizard, and support for AS/400 access to OLE DB. The price of this version is unacceptable to common users. For example, Microsoft's visual studios 6.0 enterprise Chinese version costs 23000 yuan.

· Other versions

In addition to the versions described above, there are also some proprietary version names.

Update (upgraded version)

The upgraded software cannot be used independently. During installation, the software of this version searches for the original official version. If it does not exist, the next step is rejected. Such as Microsoft Office 2000 and Windows 9X.

OEM version

The OEM version is usually bundled in hardware and not sold separately. You can sell your products to other companies to retain their copyright. The two parties will enjoy mutual benefit and win two birds in one fell swoop.

Standalone (network) version

The online version is far more complex in terms of functions and structure than the standalone version. if you pay attention to the software quotation, you will find that the prices of some software standalone versions differ greatly from those of the online version, some online versions require a lot of money to add even more client ports.

Popular edition

This version is sometimes referred to as a shared version. It features low price (or even free of charge), single functionality, and strong pertinence (of course, it also takes over the market, combating piracy and other factors ). Different from the trial version, the software of this version generally has no time limit. Of course, if you want to upgrade, you 'd better purchase the official version.

The above is a brief introduction to some common software versions. As the software market behavior changes, some new version naming methods have emerged, for example, XP in Windows XP is obtained from the second and third letters in experience. We hope that the above content will help you purchase, use, and download software. (End)