VS.NET doesn't wash the dishes...

I was a bit surprised reading Robert McLaw's recent complaints about his problems building deployment solutions for his software products.  As a tool vendor himself, he should realize that Visual Studio is not meant to be the be-all end-all in tools.  Sure, it offers an extremely rudimentary means of creating installer projects, but it isn't suitable for anything but the most basic of installations.  If you want a robust installer, purchase a robust tool for creating them.  (I see now that he's taking a look at a few solutions).

 

There is a reason that Wise and Installshield have a big market - installing software on computers has never been a simple task, and it is getting more and more complicated with every passing technology.  Think the GAC really makes things easier from a deployment perspective?  Then you probably haven't messed with things like publisher policy files.  Installations are by nature complicated beasts.  XCOPY need not apply.

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2 Comments

  • Yeah, but VS.NET is meant to be an end-to-end solution, and when it can't even deploy it's own solutions effectively, you have a problem.



    The problem is further exacerbated by these huge companies that want to rip off developers for $1100+ for their software. I'm going to use this ActiveInstall program, because it is written by guys like me, for guys like me. Wise and InstallShield are so out of step with the market if they think they're going to make money long term by ripping of 1-5 man shops who are trying to put food on the table and scrap together resources to make something fly.

  • Visual Studio has never professed to be the perfect deployment solution - rather, it represents the 'poor man's' solution. If you would rather trade time for functionality, than so be it.



    As far as $1100 for a tool being a rip off, I would argue to the contrary. Even if you are paid at the low end of the compensation band for developers, it only takes about 30-40 hours of time saved for the solution to pay for itself. This is regardless of whether you run a shop of 50 devs or if you are just a small ISV. It all depends on which is more valuable to you, time, or money.



    Both InstallShield and Wise are doing extremely well not because they don't understand the market, but rather because they understand it very, very well. (And I'm speaking from experience - I've dealt with both companies quite a bit).

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