Exactly.

The are no files, only an incantation ;-)

For CDs the sequence is very clear ('net software is probably similar,
but I don't use Windows with the Internet) -

You put the CD in the drive. After 10 seconds or so, a menu appear
offering you to read docs or install the software. You choose to
install. While you wait, it displays concilliatory messages and
marketing information about features in the program you're installing or
other software. Some complex or voluminous software packages will ask
you questions for example about what components you want to install
during this process. When it's done, you will get shortcuts on your
desktop and start menu. Various files will be spread across various
places on you file system, and various settings not visible through your
file system will be affected. If these would take more space than you
have, you'd have been notified beforehand, and otherwise, you don't care
a bit about what went where.

This used to involve running a program that was ALWAYS called setup.exe,
alway in the root of the CD, but then they invented autorun.inf (IIRC)
so you don't need to do that.

This is the user experience regular people are used to dealing with.

Daniel

Ned Konz <ned at bike-nomad.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday 09 October 2001 12:12 am, G.J.Tielemans at dinkel.utwente.nl wrote:
> > You are missing the point that for a normal user - not the
> > computer-fun-people - the best solution is to put all materials in one box
> > and if they want to use it, they only would have to open that box:
> > windows-shorthand for that: "give me a .exe"
> 
> Truly normal people (i.e. not computer geeks) don't know about exe's. They 
> know about clicking on icons or menu entries.
> 
> They may or may not know about how to install a program they downloaded from 
> the 'net.
> 
> They almost certainly don't know or care how many files are in whatever it is 
> they installed.
> 
> If someone is capable enough to download, find, and execute an .exe, they're 
> capable enough to:
> 
> * run an installation program instead
> * read a README
> 
> etc.
> 
> If you're distributing something over the net, it's best to have it a single 
> file originally (better if the file is never seen, as in Squeakland), but 
> it's immaterial how many files it becomes when installed.
> 
> -- 
> Ned Konz
> currently: Stanwood, WA
> email:     ned at bike-nomad.com
> homepage:  http://bike-nomad.com