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As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

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Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#41

Post by inigyou »

benob wrote: post #33
JoeSloth wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterpoint: you reinstall something later and all your setting and preferences are still there. It’s a classic cloud vs disk debate about where and who should persist and own the data. Lately I think it’s kinda refreshing that it’s entirely on your disk and up to you.

Maybe the correct UX could be to list the locations of settings data, their size and ask the user whether they want to leave them, put them aside in a dedicated folder ("the attic", "the basement" or whatever), or remove them

Windows uninstallers sometimes just have a checkbox

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#42

Post by guessmyname »

whstl wrote: post #24
cosmic_cheese wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a user I don’t like installer packages as much because without special utilities, they’re opaque and it’s hard to tell what they’ll do. Of course copied binaries can cause plenty of trouble too, but I have much less of a reason to give an installed program admin privileges than I do an installer.

I really dislike PKGs and I have bought an app called Pacifist app to specifically know what they're doing.

Link, for anyone interested: https://www.charlessoft.com/

I prefer this one: https://mothersruin.com/software/SuspiciousPackage/

But I’ve used both at different times with equally great results.

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#43

Post by inigyou »

TylerE wrote: post #38
nullbio wrote: post #30

No one will ever convince me that the Mac approach for installing programs is intuitive or good UX. The whole argument of: "But if you think about it in ... way, it makes sense" is a terrible argument.

No one will ever convince me that literally anything about Windows isn't utterly insane.

How about running a program to set up another program, isn't that right, hahaha totally insane

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#45

Post by nasretdinov »

adzm wrote: post #35

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who says damage in their head for .dmg files

I've once made a disk image backup of the running system (and it warn that it might be a good idea) and then wiped the laptop clean and installed a new macOS. The disk image (predictably) failed to mount and there wasn't much I could do to fix it.

Since then I also read dmg as damage :)

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#47

Post by frollogaston »

stevekerr wrote: post #17

Why not .pkg (next, next, installer)? For the past week, I've been tweaking my startup's CLI to install as a .pkg, satisfy Apple signing, and everything that goes along with that. I've often wondered why so many companies opt for the icon method.

It's annoying to click through.

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#48

Post by wilg »

It's truly a terrible UX decision that Apple's left in place because of apathy. (And presumably thinking someone wants to install software through the Mac App Store!?)

They should offer a first-class way of "installing downloaded apps" and push developers to use it. I would say use an Installer package but I can't remember if there's issues with it not being a single file. So a zipped installer package. And then make that not have an unnecessary 12 step wizard.

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#49

Post by TylerE »

inigyou wrote: post #43
TylerE wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one will ever convince me that literally anything about Windows isn't utterly insane.

How about running a program to set up another program, isn't that right, hahaha totally insane

Don't even get me started on the registry.

Re: As a Windows user, it's a surreal way to install a program

#50

Post by jocoda »

FYI - You don't have to drag the app to the applications folder in the install window.

You can drag the app to a different location. I have an entry level mini 8GB/255 GB SSD with 1TB external SSD. Everything goes on the external. There are only a handful of apps that insist on being installed in the system Application folder. Even had xCode running on the external.

Uninstalling is supposed to be as simple as moving the app to trash but often that leaves a load of stuff behind that no one tells you about.

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