On Sep 15, 2012, at 12:45 PM, Dennis E. Hamilton wrote: > > On learning that Amazon.com is offering downloads of Apache OpenOffice, I was > curious enough to go through the purchase ($0.00) and download process at > <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XAXAC4/>. > > Here's everything I noticed: > > 1. OOPS #1: It says the product is for Vista / XP, with no other versions of > Windows listed. > > 2. It points to an Apache OpenOffice 3.4 for Mac [Open Souce Download} as > also available. > > 3. It has been offered since 2012-09-10 and was #352 in Software when I > looked yesterday. Just now it is #188 in Software and #71 in Software > > Business & Office. There are no reviews yet. > > 4. The www.openoffice.org/why page is used for the Product Description. > > 5. OOPS #2: What's not so thrilling is the Sponsored Links that are offered > as being also of potential interest. These refer to > openoffice-3.4.downloadster.net, openoffice.fm/suite, and > openoffice.help-experts.com. (That one is called OpenOffice 2012 Download.) > > 6. Amazon has a Games and Software Library for users. This can be used to > re-download the software and also get product keys (not applicable for this > one). Out of curiosity, I followed that link and found that they are still > holding tax-return software for the US 2008 tax year that I purchased and > downloaded in 2009. Now the Apache OpenOffice 3.4 is there now too. > > 7. Amazon has their own downloader. It is needed to retrieve software from > the Games and Software Library. I didn't install that, although it is needed > to download from the library. > > 8. Going through the one-click purchase of the $0.00 software, I was not sent > the executable. Instead, I was sent an "Amazon OpenOffice 34 by Apache" > downloader executable. I ran it. It is a simple dialog with a progress bar, > the gull button, and a message that the item can be downloaded again from my > software library. It downloads the software. It doesn't say where.
This name is a branding issue that must be fixed immediately. This should probably be handled by Shane as VP of branding. Regards, Dave > > 9. When the downloader has completed, there is only an "Install" button and > also a little pull-down button for viewing the download location. > > 10. OOPS #3: I checked the download location. The Windows download is to the > User's desktop. > > 11. OOPS #4: I used the option to open that folder. The downloaded file is > named "OpenOffice.exe". That's it. It needs to have a more distinctive > filename, seems to me. > > 12. I closed the download dialog, and was given an "Are you sure you want to > quit without installing?" dialog. I clicked the "Quit Now" button. > > 13. I moved the "OpenOffice.exe" from my desktop to a shared-server folder > where I keep all of my AOOi downloads and screen shots. The file is > 135,933,721 bytes and I presume it is the same as > Apache_OpenOffice_incubating_3.4.1_Win_x86_install_en-US.exe that is the AOOi > 3.4.1 release. The gull-button download icon is shown with directory > listings of the file. > > 14. I checked my list of installed programs and the "Amazon OpenOffice 34 by > Apache" downloader is nowhere to be seen. My only Amazon software consists > of the Amazon MP3 Downloader, the Amazon MP3 Uploader (the pair for > transferring from/to Amazon Cloud Player) and Amazon Kindle. > > 15. The next time I ran an e-mail check, I received an Amazon.com Order > Confirmation for my $0.00 purchase. It also reminds me where I can go to > download the software from my Games and Software Library at Amazon.com. > > The use of the desktop for a temporary locations is pretty awful. This is in > addition to the fact that the default installer location of the setup files > folder is also on the desktop. I expected better of Amazon. > > Bonus Experiment > > 16. I decided to go back to My Games and Software Library at amazon.com and > install the Amazon Games & Software Downloader (for Windows XP/Vista/7), and > see what that provides that might be better. I got the usual IE warning > about this not being downloaded much and also an administrative permission > that indicated the code is not signed. I got to name my PC (sort of what > happens with Kindle software too). > This lets me set the download location. The default on Windows 7 is > "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Amazon Games & Software". I changed it to my user > account Downloads folder. It started my most-recent purchase or download > (AOOi 3.4.1) again, and I cancelled out of it. > > 17. The Amazon Games & Software Downloader 2.0.2.0 is now in my Control Panel > programs directory. This strikes me as a superior solution to having the > transient downloader that uses the desktop without giving me any control or > even knowing in advance what would happen. > > - Dennis > > >
