Factor Software - Shareware games for the Mac OS™
Information about Factor Software
Dear user,
the page you are about to read is intended to be the primary source of information about Factor Software, its products and the people who made them; its purpose is to answer to the most common questions raised by the users. If you have any questions about Factor Software and its products, please check if it's not already answered in the FAQ below (FAQ stays for “Frequently Asked Questions”) before contacting me. Thank you.
Who is Factor Software?
Factor Software is in fact a single person, i.e., me, Federico Filipponi. I am a 43 years old Mac programmer living in Rome, Italy. The name Factor Software doesn't refer to any existing company: I just use it as a nickname since 1986. I entered the Macintosh Shareware market in 1994, when the first version of MyEyes was released to the public. Previously, I was making silly games using Basic on my first home computer, a MSX 1 (does someone out there know what I'm talking about?). Then, the name Factor Software appeared on a DEC MicroVAX II, where I programmed scientific procedures using Fortran (that was my real job!). In the early '90s I started programming on a Macintosh (a Mac SE) using Turbo Pascal first and subsequently THINK Pascal. In 1995 I switched to CodeWarrior (you know, real men use CodeWarrior ;-).
Factor Software FAQ
Contents
[last updated May 14, 2006]
This FAQ page currently answers the following questions:
- What products are currently available from Factor Software?
- Where can I find the latest versions of Factor's products?
- I don't have Internet access. Can you send me a disk with your Shareware programs?
- Why Shareware?
- How do I pay for your programs?
- I sent my registration several weeks ago and never received a reply. What's the matter?
- I received my registration code for one of your programs but it doesn't work. Can you help?
- How do I contact you?
- What about privacy?
- I don't have a Mac. Can you please make <name of the game> for PC?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q - What products are currently available from Factor Software?
A - Please refer to my online catalog at:
http://www.factor-software.com/games.php
You'll find a complete description of my current product line.
Q - Where can I find the latest versions of Factor's products?
A - You can find direct links to download my shareware programs in their
respective home pages on this site.
If you have trouble in retrieving
my programs feel free to e-mail
me for help.
Q - I don't have Internet access. Can you send me a disk with
your Shareware programs?
A - No. The only mean of distribution of my programs is the Internet
(or, when I give permission, magazines with disks attached or CD-ROM collections).
I prefer spending my spare time programming rather than packaging and mailing
disks. This has by now become an iron rule, so please don't ask me to break
it! You will be disappointed, even if you send extra money for postage
coverage or blank disks. You've been warned!
Q - Why Shareware?
A - Because Shareware it's the best way of distributing home made software.
Using today network facilities it's easy for a software author to make
its work virtually accessible to every computer user in the world. And
that's a big advantage over traditional street distribution. On the other
hand, users can download the software and try it before actually buying
it. Moreover, Shareware authors can keep their prices very low by eliminating
all the industrial processes like marketing, packaging and promoting.
Q - How do I pay for your programs?
A - All my programs can be purchased from my reseller - Kagi.
Kagi accepts all major credit
cards, checks and cash in a variety of currencies.
In most cases,
you are allowed to purchase and unlock Factor Software products instantly,
using a built-in order form. Instant purchasing is only available for single
orders placed with a credit card. Please refer to the program's help for
further details.
As an alternative, you can easily and safely buy
Factor Software products online at my Kagi
Online Order Page.
When you buy one of my products,
you receive a registration code to unlock your copy of the program directly
from Kagi shortly after purchase, provided that you give Kagi a vaild e-mail
address. If you're not equipped with an e-mail address, you'll have to
wait a bit more (usually a few weeks) for a postcard receipt.
In
some cases my programs include a “Register X” application (where X stays
for the actual program name) that you can use to generate a registration
form to be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to Kagi.
Send the form together
with your payment to:
Kagi
1442-A Walnut
Street PMB #392-FF
Berkeley, California, 94709-1405
USA
For credit card payments, send the form via e-mail to shareware@kagi.com
or by FAX to +1 510 652 6589. Checks should be made out to “Kagi”.
You can also send your payments directly to me, but I
can only accept CASH (US dollars or Euro). Anything else must be
sent to Kagi.
To pay for a Factor Software product with cash, print
out the registration form using the Register program, put it in an envelope
along with the money and send the whole thing to:
Federico
Filipponi
via Carlo del Greco, 2
00122 Lido di Ostia, Roma
ITALY
If you choose to send your payment directly to me, I will send you (via e-mail or postal mail) your unique registration code soon after receiving your fee. A US$1.50 bonus for postal coverage is greatly appreciated.
Note: when sending money in an envelope make sure it is not visible from outside: wrap the bill with an opaque paper leaf (here in Italy we are used to say: trusting others is good, not trusting is better!).
Q - I sent my registration several weeks ago and never received
a reply. What's the matter?
A - Sometimes (well, often) I receive registrations from users with
faulty or bouncy e-mail addresses. In such cases my policy is to wait for
the “angry customer” to call in for complaining. There were also cases
in which a letter containing a registration code failed to reach the user
for some reason. Should this happen, there's nothing I can do about it.
So, if you already sent money for one of my programs and never received
a reply, please contact me as soon as you can for your registration code.
Your registration has not been lost.
Q - I received my registration code for one of your programs
but it doesn't work. Can you help?
A - When personalizing your copy of the program, both the code and the
user name must be typed EXACTLY as reported in the purchase confirmation
e-mail or postcard. If you fail to do that, the registration process will
not be completed successfully. If your code is rejected, first check for
typing errors. Use copy & paste to avoid errors. If the problem persists,
contact me for help.
Q - How do I contact you?
A - For any request, suggestion, bug report, etc. you can send me e-mail
to the following addresses:
fedefil@factor-software.com
(preferred)
fedefil@kagi.com
I usually don't read messages included in registration forms. If you
have something to tell me please contact me separately using one of my
e-mail addresses.
Support is given via e-mail only, so don't waste
your time and money with paper mail or faxes.
Obviously, if you need
a registration code you can send me a letter as well. My postal address
is:
Federico Filipponi
via Carlo del Greco,
2
00122 Lido di Ostia, Roma
ITALY
Q - What about privacy?
A - Find information about privacy and credit card security on the privacy page.
Q - I don't have a Mac. Can you please make <name of the game>
for PC?
A - The short answer is: NO. The long one is: I cannot say that I will
never make my products compatible with the Windows family of OSes sometime
in the future, but, at present, I don't have the interest, time, knowledge
and tools for doing it. So, please, don't ask. If you do, you'll receive
the short answer. Sorry.
Thank you for reading this FAQ.
If you have further questions
that you'd like to see answered here, please contact me.
Content © 1998-2008 Federico
Filipponi
Mac and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries.
The Made on a Mac Badge is a trademark
of Apple Computer, Inc., used with permission.
All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.
Last revised: Sun 23 Mar 2008 04:35:17 PM CET
