A couple of days back I was doing some research on free software downloads for the Android operating system when I came across a strange application called 4399. The application seemed to be a clone of the much older and popular Flipboard software application. When I downloaded the application and installed it on my Zune desktop, everything began to go smoothly. However, when I attempted to download the application for free from its official website, it asked me to upgrade my free version in order to get access to the commercial version of the application.
This turned out to be a little bit of a surprise because the application's designer contacted me just a few days ago to tell me that he had been contacted by a number of competitors in the mobile market regarding the possibility of selling free software. At first I was confused as to why the designer would sell the free software on the same platform where he had developed his competitor. However, it soon became clear to me that there were several reasons why the application was being sold. Some of those reasons centered around giving people free features or functionality within the free version. Others were probably based on licensing fees and the need to protect his own intellectual property.
Regardless of these reasons for selling this application, one thing is certain: someone had put together a nice looking application and was selling it for a price that really isn't that high considering how good it is. If you happen to use the Android Market to download free software then you should definitely look into 4399. I have been having a lot of fun testing the application and it does live up to what it claims to do. I would highly recommend this application if you're looking to download free software for your phone.