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Portable App Directory missing info

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SES21
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Portable App Directory missing info

There are two categories of information that apply to every app here that are not included on the main App Directory page, whether it's on the site itself or in the new platform app store, & that may be important for users to know.

The first is if the app only runs on Windows or whether it will also run on WINE. Some (many?) people like their apps truly portable, not only physically but also to run across OS platforms. If they're not familiar with a particular app, this may be a consideration for whether or not they want to start using it.

The second is whether the app is Open Source or freeware. Just as above, this may be a decision point on whether or not to use the app.

Finding this info today is very tedious & requires you to go into the page for each app in the ever-growing App Directory on this site. The lack of easy access to this in one spot has been my one complaint with PAc. To the best of my knowledge, the info isn't available at all from the platform.

I think it could easily be included on the two main App Directory locations by adding 2 small columns with headers like "Open Source" & "Runs on WINE" or some such. Then a simple Y or check mark would do. For that matter, you could probably use the OSI & WINE icons for the column headers..those that care about such things would probably recognize the icons.

Perhaps this doesn't matter to others but, for me, it's becoming an important step in my "app of choice" decision-making. I'm trying my best to only use applications that are OS-agnostic & don't lock my data into a proprietary format. If it doesn't comply, then it better be an awesome app to warrant my using it!

Simeon
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Joined: 2006-09-25 15:15
yes

Filtering apps on the app page by freeware is planned for a future site-update (new drupal version).

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

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