Jing - 2.1

Imagine, if you will, the absolute worst piece of 'multimedia' software — probably for Windows — that you have received bundled with a printer or a scanner or a digital camera, full of meaningless circles filled with low contrast gradients, transitioning between one another in a poorly animated way and dependent on you reading the instructions first to learn by rote what each icon is meant to do. If you're not willing to or can't imagine such a piece of software then download Jing and try it first hand.

Further sins: (1) you can't record anything without handing over your email address; (2) although it is justifiable for free users to be limited to SWF output, the baked-in player interface is ugly to the extreme. Couple its deficiencies with the usual downsides of playing video through a browser (ie, video can't be resized, things like the scroll wheel to frame step don't work, no full screen option) and the videos you produce with this aren't particularly useful.

I've rated it 3/5 because I guess some people will find it very useful, but they'll do so despite these various limitations and probably through gritted teeth while dealing with the user interface.

I think this is what's called lureware. I've been seeing more and more of it. Developers always give me a chuckle.

Once again for those with ears. If you sell a "copy" of your software for 4 to 7 dollars, then you will sell many copies and it's not worth the pirates time to crack it.

If you try and fool the people, or try and get rich over night by selling a "copy" of your software for an inflated price, then you will sell only a few, but everyone will have a copy. You will spend most of your time fighting a loosing battle with the pirates.

Prohibition and Drug Wars don't work. People WILL live in freedom no matter what it takes. You can only be king for so long before the poor rise up. An honest days wages, for an honest days work. Everyone wants to be a millionaire overnight, and they are totally missing the meaning of life.