AOL releases a free cFos OEM version. It is, however, limited in its functions and can only be used with AOL.
Support and updates for the AOL OEM Version are provided exclusively by AOL. It is therefore AOL's decision if, when and under what circumstances a new update will be released.
What we can offer you is a version of cFos/Professional with all features fully implemented. In the meantime, you can download our latest trial version at www.cfos.de/download and install it over your OEM version. You may then test the cFos Trial Version for a period of 30 days, after which you can either buy cFos/Professional or deinstall the trial version and reinstall your OEM version.
Compared to the OEM version, cFos/Professional provides a far greater choice of features. For instance, it offers full ISDN and DSL support, allowing you to connect to any Internet provider, not just AOL. It also has a mini-firewall built into it, protecting you against attacks from the Net. In addition, it gives you a budget management system, a call monitor and all-around faster login to the Net. The call monitor lets you link specific actions to certain caller IDs. And this is not even mentioning such features as automatic time synchronization with ISDN standard time, data compression, channel bundling, and the opportunity to configure cFos modem commands.
Future versions are already included in the price for cFos/Professional. You can simply download updates from our homepage for free and install them over your old version. All of your settings will be kept.
1&1 releases a free cFos OEM version. It is, however, limited in its functions and can only be used with 1&1.
Support and updates for the 1&1 OEM Version are provided exclusively by 1&1. It is therefore 1&1's decision if, when and under what circumstances a new update will be released. The current update is OEM cFos Version 1&1 (v4.06 DSL).
What we can offer you is a version of cFos/Professional with all features fully implemented. In the meantime, you can download our latest trial version at www.cfos.de/download and install it over your OEM version. You may then test the cFos Trial Version for a period of 30 days, after which you can either buy cFos/Professional or deinstall the trial version and reinstall your OEM version.
Compared to the OEM version, cFos/Professional provides a far greater choice of features. For instance, it offers full ISDN and DSL support, allowing you to connect to any Internet provider, not just 1&1. It also has a mini-firewall built into it, protecting you against attacks from the Net. In addition, it gives you a budget management system, a call monitor and all-around faster login to the Net. The call monitor lets you link specific actions to certain caller IDs. And this is not even mentioning such features as automatic time synchronization with ISDN standard time, data compression, channel bundling, and the opportunity to configure cFos modem commands.
Future versions are already included in the price for cFos/Professional. You can simply download updates from our homepage for free and install them over your old version. All of your settings will be kept.
Benefit from all the features cFos has to offer by upgrading to cFos/Professional!
cFos is a so-called driver. Simply put, such driver software adds new, special features and functions (like in the case of cFos enhanced DSL and ISDN support) to an operating system. As such, drivers need to be tailored to the individual OS, though certain operating systems (like Windows NT, 2000 and XP) employ technology that is similar enough to allow programs like cFos to support an entire "OS family" rather than just one operating system with each version. What this also means is that unlike most applications the same driver software will usually come in different versions with each version supporting another operating system (family). cFos does support a number of operating systems accordingly, the following cFos versions are currently available:
| cFos/DOS | for MS-DOS versions 3.1 and higher |
| cFos/2 | for OS/2 versions 2.0 and higher |
| cFos/Win | for MS-Windows 95, 98 und Me |
| cFos NT/2000/XP | for MS-Windows NT (versions 4.0 and higher), 2000 und XP |
What all of this means for you is that the cFos version you need is determined by the operating system you use!
Use of these programs is tied to the appropriate user licenses. See the cFos license model section below for more information. Note also that cFos/Omni is not another program but a license for all versions mentioned above.
| cFos/Omni | license for all cFos versions |
Even with an Omni License, what version of cFos you end up using will still depend on the operating system you are running on your computer. However, you can always switch between different operating systems (at least among those supported by cFos) and use the appropriate cFos program as if you had the specific license. Obtaining an Omni License is a particularly good idea if you plan on changing your OS soon or if you are running more than one OS on your computer.
By contrast, cFos/ATM represents a mix of program and license:
| cFos/ATM | cFos/Omni with ATM features added |
This is basically a cFos/Omni version that is commercial use only but can also be run on ATM network adaptors. It's a safe bet that if you have no idea what this means, you really won't need it.
In principle, you could get a separate license for each cFos version (an overview of available programs can be found above under Which of the different cFos programs do I need?). For simplicity' sake, each license is named after the corrosponding cFos version, whose name in turn relates to the operating system(s) it supports. Thus, a cFos/Win License would allow you to use cFos/Win, while a cFos NT/2000/XP License permits use of cFos NT/2000/XP.
Besides such "single licenses," we also offer a cFos/Omni License, which encompasses all cFos versions offered so far (i.e., cFos/DOS, cFos/2 cFos/Win and cFos NT/2000/XP). Since cFos/Omni costs less than two single licenses, it is an ideal solution for anyone planning to change operating systems or opting for a multiplatform installation.
Please note that all licenses even Omni permit use of cFos on only one computer!!!
Not only do you receive the right to use the licensed program(s) with the purchase of your cFos license, but you are also entitled to download all future version updates at no additional cost. (In this context, update refers to bringing the licensed program up to snuff by installing a more recent version with a higher version number.)
If you plan to change your operating system but have already purchased a single license that doesn't support the OS you want to switch to, we'll be more than happy to offer you an upgrade to the cFos/Omni License. This is less expensive than purchasing another single license. Besides, a second single license will only be necessary if you intend to keep using the existing license. That said, simply exchanging one single license for another is not possible!
We also distinguish between private and commercial licences. If you do not use cFos for commercial purposes, you may be able to purchase a (less expensive) private license. Read on to find out more about this in the How can I get a cFos private license? section below.
If you can claim the purchase of cFos as a tax write-off, your license is by definition commercial not private! In that case, you will receive a bill that does include VAT / sales tax.
You are entitled to obtain a private license only if you use cFos exclusively for non-commercial purposes in a non-commercial environment, in which case you won't be able to claim the purchase as a tax write-off. You will then receive a private license and a bill that does not include VAT / sales tax.
In this context, government agencies, public institutions, and non-profit organizations like charities are considered "private."
In terms of technology, there is no difference between a private and a commercial license. For tax purposes, it may be important for commercial users though what operating system they are using to run cFos.
cFos/ATM can only be licensed commercially.
A lot of hard work went into implementing DSL support, which would have justified offering the DSL driver as a stand-alone product. However, given the amount of time involved in its development, it would have been only insignificantly cheaper than the full cFos version. This is why we decided to keep it all in one package and make cFos even more appealing. After all, cFos is still the only driver we know of that can manage both ISDN and DSL connections at the same time!
cFos is an extremely efficient program that doesn't require a lot of space on your hard disk. Its code is tight enough to allow each version to be fitted snugly onto a single floppy disk. Therefore, as well as for ecological reasons, we still deliver cFos on floppy disk rather than on CD.
While making this distinction may at first sound like self-serving technobabble, these terms are in fact hardly ever interchangeable when it comes to computer software. How the distinction is drawn, does however vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (or so it seems).
For cFos, the distinction is pretty much cut-and-dried:
Update means updating the version of the cFos program you licensed to a more recent version with a higher version number. Let's assume, for instance, you have a cFos/Win Version 4.05 licensed but want to download and install the newer cFos/Win Version 4.11. Then, this would be considered an 'update' ('simple as that). Such updates are free of charge, though you may still have to pay for packing or online charges during a download. But there are absolutely no costs related to further licensing or any other hidden charges!
Upgrade, by contrast, is the expansion of an existing license to cover additional programs. For example, if you own cFos/Win but want to work under Windows NT, 2000 or XP from now on, then you will need cFos NT/2000/XP. Besides simply purchasing another single license, you can upgrade your existing license to a cFos/Omni License, which does include cFos NT/2000/XP but costs less. Of course, the cFos/Omni would be shipped to you in its current version, which means this upgrade would also be an update.
Update means updating the version of the cFos program you licensed to a more recent version with a higher version number. In this context, please do remember the difference between update and upgrade.
An update is done as follows:
Go to the download area of our Web site. Select your cFos Program. By clicking on the appropriate field, you can initiate the download. The downloadable program is an executable file (.exe) on which you should double-click to install the current cFos version. Your license will be preserved, and there will be no additional cost.
As long as your existing version has been installed correctly (do not uninstall or delete any files), all of your settings will be kept after the update. Just follow the installation instructions and don't be confused by strange messages that might pop up. As long as there are no clear error messages, you should be okay.
Yet, if any problems or errors do occur during installation or after the update has been completed, please contact our Support Team.
Make sure you need an upgrade and not an update! Remember the difference between update and upgrade described above.
You can get an upgrade of your existing license directly from us. Just send a brief message to our cFos Order Team. Please make sure to include the Serial No. of your current license and the name of the licensee (if you order for a company, it's probably the company name). The License Serial No. can either be found on your bill or in the cFos context menu on the second line from the top. You can open the context menu by right-clicking on the cFos status window or the cFos icon on the Windows task bar. If you cannot find your License Serial No., we may still be able to help you out just as long as we can determine your billing number.
We will then send you an order form.
We are more than happy to send you your personal License Key via e-mail again. Please contact our Order Team.
Make sure to include the following:
- cFos License No.
- Billing No.
- Name of the licensee
The License Serial No. can either be found on your bill or in the cFos context menu on the second line from the top. You can open the context menu by right-clicking on the cFos status window or the cFos icon on the Windows task bar. You can also locate your billing number on the invoice we sent you.
Please read the instructions on installing the cFos License Key carefully. Successful installation will activate your cFos version.
If you have difficulties installing the license key, contact our Support Team with an exact description of the problem. You should also include a copy of the cfsetup.txt file from your Windows directory, which protocols the installation process and helps us determine what went wrong.
If you own a cFos/Win License, please remember that it is only valid for Windows versions 9x/ME but not for NT, 2000 or XP. If you wish to use cFos under Windows XP, you need to purchase a cFos NT/2000/XP License or better yet upgrade to a cFos/Omni License. Please contact our Order Team to do so.