Aloha,
Everyone's input on our stacks was extremely useful. All points well taken.
Setting aside the UI on my "content" stacks, which still needs a lot of
work, the distribution strategy became the main focus so I am bringing this
back to the list as a new thread using generic, for-any-developer terms, in
case the grand masters have insights on the "installation interface" for us
challenged newbies.
Everyone likes the model which is:
THE MODEL
1. Set up web page in dominant browsers
2. Deliver the key stack:
THE KEY STACK: MetaKey.mc
--installed to disk
--never needs changed or updated (or rarely)
--Does one thing and one thing only: downloads the Portal Stack
THE PORTAL STACK: MetaWorld.mc (wave dominant browsers goodbye for now)
--not saved to disk
--contains buttons, list fields. . .whatever, which download
other stacks with content.
--changes frequently, we make the user download it every time.
INSTALLATION INTERFACE for
"Neophyte untutored I-hate-computers but love to surf" user
Option one:
--make the user download and install the engine for her platform
--then ask him to download the key stack.
Problem:
1) will the key stack boot automatically on a windows machine? Scott
says no, need to use an installer, learn RegEdit, set the app to doc binding
in the registry = (new headache for Mac developers with no experience)?
2) neophytes might not make it through two installations, neophyte
bails MC "I hate computers, why don't they just work. . ."
Option two:
make a standalone of MetaKey.mc
pros: --effectively you have an HTTP client in one download
--user thinks this is cool
cons: --we later decide to save data/media to disk, so user can use
content stacks offline
--he trys to boot stack, won't run, no Metacard engine on his disk
or ??
can we make the MetaKey.mc standalone serve as the app that boots when the
users tries to run any .mc stack on his HD?
Option three: Make the user download/install the full trial installation.
Bad: that does the MicroBloatSoft thing and puts a ton of stuff on the hard
drive that user didn't expect "Hey why do they do that to me. . .I don't
want all that stuff!"
Any insights?
Suggestion: Scott, would a "Delivery Tools" model be useful like the
SuperCard player which delivers with that product? i.e. you build installers
for the engines that only install the engines-only for the platforms, they
do the RegEdit thing on Windows machine and whatever on linux and unix.
If that is "giving too much away" you could make it available only to paid
developers. . . The RegEdit-installer thing. Can we do it on a Mac? Create
the PC installers on a Mac? I have never touched a PC in my life. We are
willing to learn, problem is, even if you want to get from here to there, if
you have no map you can't start. . .and maybe its a "don't need to know"
thing which "Metacard Players" could do for us.
Thanks for all your patience!
Sivakatirswami
Editor's Assistant/Production Manager
www.HinduismToday.com
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