Going from zero-install to instant-install | Hacker News Reader

Going from zero-install to instant-install

google.com

20 pointsbdfh4210 comments

The only thing I miss about installations, as a developer, is the ability to drop an icon on the desktop. I still get purchases from software installed in 2007, biding its time on a desktop, waiting to be clicked on. On the other hand, many of my users cannot find my website again after they close the browser.

Bringing back a lightweight notion of installation offers an interesting way out of these constraints. If an author uses APIs like window.open() and desktop notifications in an annoying way, his app will be uninstalled. The UA can make it easy for the user to discover the uninstall button, so there's a strong incentive for authors to not be assholes.

The author has more confidence in the ability of regular users to identify the cause of a novel behavior on their computer than I do. For example, I sell downloadable software. My users largely understand that downloadable software is dangerous and Google is safe. When Google went down last year, three people did the following math: "Google was up, I installed Patrick's software, Google went down, clearly Patrick has broken the Google and needs to give it back or I will tell my husband."

> The only thing I miss about installations, as a developer, is the ability to drop an icon on the desktop.

The thing I love about web apps is not having to worry about an installation dialog where I must be on the lookout for the program trying to place icons on my desktop, start menu, or elsewhere.

Have no fear, mine doesn't bother you with deciding on those details. grin

Seriously though, I understand developers react to someone changing a setting on their computer like a dragon who had a copper piece fondled by an unwelcome hobbit. However, normal people don't care, need those boxes checked or they will be unable to run the software again, and everything in an installer might as well be magic spells written in ancient Aramaic (though the cleverer ones have learned that the button on the bottom right casts "continue").

However, normal people don't care, need those boxes checked or they will be unable to run the software again

All I can think of now is "our website was at the very tip of the penis" and "my salesforce.com was on the right testicle". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8_Kfjo3VjU

drop an icon on the desktop [...] cannot find my website again

Offer an HTML page to save to the desktop ?

The arguments for install seem a bit weak and/or incorrect.

> Web apps can't open popup windows

Popupblocker allow

> Web browsers cannot offer permanent storage

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/Storage

> Web apps can't put things on the clipboard

Go to any github repo and there is a nice copy to clipboard button.

> Web apps can't know when the system is idle (eg to turn the chat icon from green to yellow)

Google chat has being do this for a long time already.

- Copy to Clipboard uses Flash.

- Google chat doesn't use true system idle time.

* Having users have to configure their popup blocker is pretty weak sauce right? I mean, normal apps don't have to be configured after installation just to be useable.

* DOM Storage is not permanent. Browsers can decide to delete it at any time. It has to be that way for the reasons I describe in the post.

* What mcav said.

Google code, "What are installable web apps?" http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/

Also, it looks like google is trying to make an app store for the browser: https://chrome.google.com/webstore

The author works on that :)

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