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TenaciousD wrote:Installed apps on smart phones and related technologies make it very easy to download and then use them as all the installed apps can be accessed from one place. Unlike desktop 'apps' and the horrible start>all programs> [big list of all installed apps] (At least for windows users anyway).
This underlines my point nicely: the pain and confusion of the install process is the whole reason our site exists. Back in the DOS days, settings were always in the application directory, but when developers offered an "installation" version, that was supposed to put everything in one place and make things simple. As I found out with Win95/98, there was also a unique set of problems:
- Inability to easily maintain settings between computers
- Registry cruft slows your computer down over time
- Poor uninstall
- Tries to run at startup
- etc.
That's why I don't think desktop apps are dead: as it's relatively new, mobile doesn't have the same expectations. As we watch it mature, you'll find the same issues all over again. I predict this will become even more clear as the line between mobile device and PC continues to diminish, like how tablets and laptops are increasingly similar.
Here is where I see PortableFreeware.com's role in computers: we're offering a third option. We give users the tools to customize the applications to behave according to a specific set of expectations: portable, as close to stealth as possible, and few dependencies. The price is frequently a non-simple procedure to make it work, but provides a great deal of customization in a self-contained format; once it's set the way you like, it will always work that way and won't affect anything else on your machine.
As the install process issue isn't going away, I think we'll be here for the long haul, but if Microsoft can't make that bridge, we may well see a "Portable Android / ChromeOS" section on the site.
