Nick Bradbury:

Those of us who believe that desktop software is still relevant in a browser-based world should be up in arms about how hard it is to install software (on Windows, at least – it’s easier on the Mac). Multiple security warnings, required OS updates, and tech-heavy language make downloading and installing software too scary a prospect for non-technical users.

Desktop software on all platforms can and should be really easy to install. All it requires is for the user to click a link, click “Run” and the application should be up and running. In future they should be able to access it directly from their hard drive (start menu, Applications folder, command line, whatever is appropriate for the platform). Anything more complex is purely because the developer chose to make it more complex.

For instance, Microsoft’s World Wide Telescope is difficult to install because the developers chose to use .Net 2.0 and not bundle it with the download. They chose to require all the latest Windows updates and security packs and they chose to use a setup wizard for the install. None of this is actually needed and the same problem happens with web apps where users are forced to upgrade their browser or switch to IE or upgrade flash etc.

Install experience is not decided by the platform used, it’s decided by how simple the developers choose to make it.