crippleware
1. Software that has some important functionality deliberately removed, so as to
entice potential users to pay for a working version.
2. (Cambridge) Guiltware that exhorts you to donate to some charity.
Compare careware, nagware.
3. Hardware deliberately crippled, which can be upgraded to a more expensive
model by a trivial change (e.g. removing a jumper). A correspondant gave the
following example:
In 1982-5, a friend had a Sharp scientific calculator which was on the list of
those permitted in exams. No programmable calculators were allowed.
A very similar, more expensive, programmable model had two extra keys for
programming where the cheaper version just had blank metal.
My friend took his calculator apart (as you would) and lo and behold, the rubber
switches of the program keys were there on the circuit board. So all he had to
do was cut a hole in the face. For exams he would pre-load the calculator with
any useful routines, put a sticker with his name on it over the hole, and press
the buttons through the sticker with a pen.
[Jargon File]
(2001-05-12)
Nearby terms:
C-Refine « CREN « CREW PRAM « crippleware »
criptography » Crisis Software » CRISP
criptography
<spelling> It's spelled "cryptography".
(1996-12-13)
Nearby terms:
CREN « CREW PRAM « crippleware « criptography
» Crisis Software » CRISP » crisp
Crisis Software
A small UK company producing software for the Acorn Archimedes range of
computers.
Home.
(1994-11-10)
Nearby terms:
CREW PRAM « crippleware « criptography « Crisis
Software
» CRISP » crisp » Crispy Critters
CRISP
A Lisp-like language and compiler for the IBM 370 written by Jeff Barnett of
SDC, Santa Monica, CA, USA in the early 1970s. It generalised Lisp's two-part
cons nodes to n-part nodes.
(1994-11-10)
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crippleware « criptography « Crisis Software «
CRISP
» crisp » Crispy Critters » critical mass
crisp
(Or "discrete") The opposite of "fuzzy".
(1994-12-23)
Nearby terms:
criptography « Crisis Software « CRISP « crisp
» Crispy Critters » critical mass » critical section
Crispy Critters
<jargon> (Or "Crispy Crittered". From the "Post" breakfast cereal of the
same name) hardware which is fried or toast.
(1995-01-31)
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Crisis Software « CRISP « crisp « Crispy Critters
» critical mass » critical section » CRL
critical mass
In physics, the minimum amount of fissionable material required to sustain a
chain reaction. Of a software product, describes a condition of the software
such that fixing one bug introduces one plus epsilon bugs. (This malady has many
causes: creeping featurism, ports to too many disparate environments, poor
initial design, etc.) When software achieves critical mass, it can never be
fixed; it can only be discarded and rewritten.
[Jargon File]
(1994-12-23)
Nearby terms:
CRISP « crisp « Crispy Critters « critical mass
» critical section » CRL » CRLF
critical section
A non-re-entrant piece of code that can only be executed by one process at a
time. It will usually terminate in bounded time and a process will only have to
wait a bounded time to enter it. Some synchronisation mechanism is required at
the entry and exit of the critical section to ensure exclusive use.
Nearby terms:
crisp « Crispy Critters « critical mass «
critical section » CRL » CRLF » CRM
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