An application usage time limiter monitors certain pre-configured application programs when opened or otherwise executed on a computer (e.g. a PC). The application usage time limiter is itself a program running either as a front end to various selected programs for monitoring, or as a separate program running in a time-sharing operating system environment. Pre-configurable options in a usage limiter configuration file or other memory area are set to limit real time ranges that particular application programs on a particular computer can be started and run, and a limit to a length of time that a specific program (or category of programs-an be operated given a number of available credits for a current user. The user is given credits at a pre-configured rate per hour of usage of an application program designated in the usage limiter configuration file as being beneficial, and the user gives back (or looses) credits at a pre-configured rate per hour of usage for use of programs designated as non-beneficial. Preferably, continued usage of beneficial programs is detected, e.g., by keystrokes. Application programs selected for monitoring in the usage limiter configuration file can be identified on an application by application basis, as a specific category of applications identifiable when the particular application is started, or as being stored in a specific directory (e.g., folder in a Windows™ operating system). A credit-giving (i.e., beneficial program) must be run by a particular user to earn credits before a credit-taking (i.e., non-beneficial program) can be run by that user. Up front credits may be provided to a particular user in a user log.
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