I was thinking about how some programs such as Spybot S&D and Microsoft Update have a setting for including beta versions in their lists of updates. Perhaps PA.c could have something similar? That way, normal users wouldn't receive beta or dev updates by default, but testers or curious users would be able to download them at their own discretion.
I support this 110% for Audacity and Chrome alone. I'm sure there are other good examples -- like Firefox. I mean obviously we wouldn't update Firefox Portable *stable* to the nightly, but to update the nightly to the next nightly. That would actually be very smart.
Also, a safe, or sideways/separate upgrade would be a cool option. New beta comes out, you choose this option, it installs the beta in a separate folder and copies your data folder over from the stable, so it has your settings and whatnot.
This is already done with FirefoxPortableTest and GoogleChromePortableDev. Users have already been updated to the current Chrome Dev nightly and Firefox 4.0 Beta 1. These are treated as separate apps from the main apps FirefoxPortable and GoogleChromePortable, so they update just like any others. AudacityPortable is *already* using the current beta release, so those users are updated as well.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
see here.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate