The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Different Trial Versions

"And I'll be damned if I'm going to struggle to test my app on three different versions of the runtime just so I can get the benefit of the 1.2% of the installed base that has one of the three."

Is it really such a big deal? Just let the people with old versions of the runtime trial the last version of City Desk that ran on that version. I doubt you'll have much difficulty in coming up with a way of forcefully ponting out to them that the current version is so much better.

Peter WA Wood
Thursday, January 29, 2004

Um, are you saying I should use my old crappy version as a sales tool to promote a new spiffy version that I won't show you unless you jump through hoops?

Uh, yeah, ok.

Joel Spolsky (Fog Creek Software)
Thursday, January 29, 2004

Joel, I read (but haven't tried it) that InnoSetup has an add-on that lets you download stuff over the Net, and I'm positive NSIS has an add-on that lets you do that.

Maybe you should offer two versions of the trial version: The full version with all the dependencies included, and a light version that downloads stuff that people need.

Call ConnectInternet
NSISdl::download http://www.fogcreek.com/mydep.dll $2

FredF
Thursday, January 29, 2004

What about different installs ?

A few that explain exactly what is in each one (version of the runtime, no runtime etc) and a big version labeled "I have no idea what you are talking about - just make it work." with the runtime and all the necessary files ?

I agree though, it is a huge pain and I wish installing 1.1 didn't affect 1.0 installations.

Kentasy
Thursday, January 29, 2004

"Is it really such a big deal? Just let the people with old versions of the runtime trial the last version of City Desk that ran on that version."

Oh, come on. Do you have customers?
How many of them know what VERSION of .net is installed, much less WHICH version.

*I* don't even know which version of .net I have installed (1.1 I THINK).

I figure MAYBE 2% of the general population would know the answer to that question. Are you limiting your sales, in general, to only 2% of the market.

(Unless your selling a very high end product to PROGRAMMERS, in which case your market might know thier .net version. However, the streets are littered with the carcasses of people trying to sell products to programmers.)

The real Entrepreneur
Thursday, January 29, 2004

> How many of them know what VERSION of .net is installed, much less WHICH version. <

Just have a script on your web site that detects which version (if any) of the framework the end user has installed, and then recommends the appropriate download(s). No need to query the user about this.

Robert Jacobson
Thursday, January 29, 2004

"No need to query the user about this. "

Unless the user is going to run the software on another machine than the one he is downloading from.

Just me (Sir to you)
Friday, January 30, 2004

That should be "downloading to".

Just me (Sir to you)
Friday, January 30, 2004