Re: Are "Easy Buttons" important in a Windows software installer?

Subject: Re: Are "Easy Buttons" important in a Windows software installer?
From: Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: Rédacteur en chef <editorialstandards -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:27:44 -0400

I'm of the camp that when I buy a product, I want to install
everything it comes with. It used to be that you had to do this via
Custom, but developers seemed to have wisened up over the turn of the
century. ;) So I always look for a "Full Installation" option first.

But it really comes down to the type of product you're installing.
What are the exact product use cases? Are certain components required
of specific people in a specific workflow? Does it make sense (or not)
for someone to install everything? If 2 components are needed, is
there an easy button for that or does the person have to either run
the installer twice or avoid easy buttons and just go custom? Does
that make sense for your target users and will they understand and
enjoy the process you designed for them?

On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 11:20 AM, Rédacteur en chef
<editorialstandards -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> For Windows software installers, notably when there are optional items (or
> perhaps multiple products) would you favor an installer that takes you
> directly to the Custom page (the one with tree view on the left, and
> 140-character descriptions in the right-hand pane for whatever was
> currently highlighted in the tree?
>
> OR, would you favor an installer that presented a bunch of pre-packaged
> install options with "radio buttons" to select some or all, and an option
> at the bottom to choose "Custom", only if the pre-packaged choices were not
> suitable?  The ready-made "Easy Buttons" would each install individual
> product configurations, complete with DLL, driver, utilities for the
> product represented by that button. Press one button, you have everything
> you need for that one product/config. Press more than one, and you have
> everything you need to run two or more products/configs, and maybe some
> optional peripheral items if you chose their Easy Buttons, too. Each button
> has a title and then a text summary beside it.... you've all seen this
> forever, on most of the software you've installed, I'm sure.
>
> The argument in favor of dumping customers (both highly technical and
> not-so-techie) directly into the Custom page, with no Easy Button page, is
> that it's easier to program and is streamlined, and they can see all the
> possible options and combos in the tree view anyway.
>
> If you think I described the situation clearly, why do you favor one
> approach over the other?

--
Bill Swallow
Content Solutions Manager
GlobalScript, a division of LinguaLinx
http://globalscript.com
http://lingualinx.com

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Are "Easy Buttons" important in a Windows software installer?: From: RÃdacteur en chef

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