Freeware converters are software products that are capable of allowing various types of data to be translated into a different format. The use of a converter for personal as well as business purposes is relatively common. However, the freeware converter offers a couple of benefits that are not usually found with shareware and other types of data converters.
To understand the nature of the freeware converter, it is necessary to have an idea of what freeware actually is. Essentially, freeware is some form of programming that is offered to the general public at no cost. The developer of the programming retains the copyright to the code.
This makes freeware different from open source software, where the code is freely available for individuals and companies to adapt. Freeware is also different from shareware, in that shareware is usually a scaled-down version of a fee-based software package designed to offer limited functionality and may actually stop working after a certain amount of time. Shareware is commonly employed as part of trial periods leading up to the purchase of the full version of the software.
A specific freeware converter can perform one or several different functions. For example, there is freeware conversion software that is designed to extract text from one type of file and create a new file in another format, using that extracted text. A converter of this type may read several different word processing file types and make it possible to extract data and save it into a PDF format. Often, the same converter will extract text from a PDF file and create a new document in any one of several different word processing file types.
The freeware converter may be used to create a new image, using a source document that is saved in another format. For example, an image that is saved as a JPG can be read using the converter. The converter can also create a new file from that JPG, converting the digital photo into another popular file option, such as a GIF. This allows users to interact with several different types of images, and save them as a file type they prefer to work with.
Other examples of the freeware converter also are found. A byte converter helps to convert data storage units from one format to another, a function that is particularly helpful in business situations. There is even a freeware converter that can convert currency amounts from one type to another, making it possible to quickly determine the current rate of exchange between two currencies.
Because every type of freeware converter is offered at no cost, it is possible to locate and download software of this type from many sites around the Internet. There are even web sites that serve as hubs for different types of freeware converters, organizing the options into categories and providing links to sites where the software packages can be downloaded. Since most forms of converters created as freeware are efficient and reliable, it is possible to save a great deal of money by utilizing various freeware products.