Crippleware

Updated: 04/30/2020 by Computer Hope

Crippleware may refer to any of the following:

1. Crippleware is any computer software that does not have all features enabled or has limited capabilities until the user registers and unlocks the program.

Person working on a motherboard

2. With hardware, crippleware refers to a hardware device that was intentionally not designed to its full capability. For example, a computer company may make a circuit board for multiple models of a products and release a high-end and low-end version of a product. The high-end may have an extra IC (integrated circuit) or jumper that enables it to work better or have more features while the low-end version does not. Although both products are almost identical, this setting (or missing component) makes for a slower and cheaper version of the product. Crippleware allows the company to have an easy and profitable upgrade solution, where they add or enable the missing feature.

Crapware, Hardware terms, Shareware, Software terms, Ware