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Are "Easy Buttons" important in a Windows software installer?
Subject:Are "Easy Buttons" important in a Windows software installer? From:RÃdacteur en chef <editorialstandards -at- gmail -dot- com> To:"techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com >> TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:20:02 -0400
All,
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?
</kevin>
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