The Downloads library offers freeware and trial shareware for download, as well as some "Buy Only" titles. Downloaded trial versions include information on how to purchase the full product should you decide to do so after trying it.
Many of the files in the Downloads library have been reviewed by members of PC World's award-winning editorial staff, who give you their frank opinion to help you decide which products will best meet your needs.
Other files available in the library have not been reviewed by PC World; on their PC World Downloads information pages, we state "File description provided by the developer." When you use the Browse Downloads category tree on the Downloads main page, files we have reviewed are identified on the category lists with the "PCW Reviewed" logo.
Absence of a review is no reflection on the quality or possible pros and cons of a program. It simply means that PC World editors haven't looked at the program, so we can make no recommendation about the software one way or another. (The Downloads library holds thousands of files; we simply can't review all of them.) Our editors make every effort to review the most important programs, as well as the most popular ones.
The PC World Downloads library acts as a point of distribution for freeware, free trial software, and "Buy Only" files, but of course our editors can't provide individual user support for those thousands of files. When we review a file, we make sure to include an 'Author' link to the creator or developer. You can use that link if you have questions or comments about a given file. (If you find an 'Author' link that doesn't work, please let us know by writing to webmaster at pcworld dot com.) We encourage developers (or their agents) who provide their own files to include an 'Author' link; not all of them supply such a link, but many do.
