I downloaded and installed and used it today for the first time.
And I find it having a very non-intuitive IME which created difficutlies
After browsing through all apps available, I ticked some 20 that I wanted and let it download.
After it had downloaded some 5 apps, and was downloading Chrome, at 80% completion, my net got disconnected.
When I restarted net, it didn't resume downloading of the same 80% downloaded app.
it was downloading the next app, freefilesync, which got half downloded, and again net got disconnected.
Wherever that 80% and half downloaded two apps disappeared in cyberspace?
When I restarted net, that was also gone, and all remaining 15 apps that I had ticked, there was no trace of my choice. the IME had no ticked item, and I had to retick and redownload,
and it started downloading from 0 byte, there was no trace of whatever was already downloaded.
Why can't it keep a list of what I have selected to download?
so that it can show that list for me to avoide going throuh 300 apps long list and re-select?
And why can't it store partly downloaded apps, so that it can resume downloading. Doesn't its own server support resume?
And where had it kept the downloaded apps? I am not finding it ever asking me which folder to use to store the downloaded ap, and I don't see any "downloading..." or "downloaded" app folder in it.
does it use windows temp folder and deletes apps after downloading and installing?
What a waste. I would like to store downloaded package for sharing with friends or for whatever future use.
Also, it only asks for installation confirmation for a single app (Free commander) and didn't ask for other 4 apps it has downloaded (including 7zip, and directly installed that.)
We might have downloaded some app to give to some friend and we ourselves don't want to use that for whatever reason.
Also, its task bar tab and its systray icon works and a single thing. we can't close or remove or unpin or close the taskbar tab. When it is there in systray, there should not be a taskbar tab open when we have closed that.
Also, the its opened browser closes as soon as we hover over something else or click on some other window. that is inconvenient. It should remain open until we close it.
Overall, my first impression of this ap is quite disappointing. You guys don't understand the problems of home users working on low speed and limited bandwidth.
Suggestion -
1: Let it store the exact downloaded package safely in some of its folder.
2. It can even ask us which folder to use for saving those apps so that we can move the downloaded package from there to our routine backup, instead of fiddling through its complex folder structures.
3. It can save whatever app choices we have made, so that in next run, it presents that to us and we are saved from re-selecting them.
4. it can resume downloads.
5. It must ask us which app to install.
6. unlink taskbar tab and systray icon
7. its browser window should have option to max, min, close, exit. It should not close on hover over anything else.
Thanks.
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Rawat
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Wm
I also use low bandwidth often, something like 128kbps sometimes.
Still I did not meet any problems you described. When I download a file and this gets interupted by some reason, I just 'reload' it and the download continues.
There must be something definitely wrong with your computer if you experience such problems.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
oh, then I sorry for that part of my complaint.
However I use orbit downloader and internal download interfaces of firefox and chrome and other browsers,
and all do resume after a broken net connection.
so I guess my w8-32 pc has mechanisms to resume broken dowloads.
If it is some setting in this software then I surely do not know about it yet, this being my first day on this.
Hope some members or veteran users would kindly guide me into how to resume interrupted downloads within this software.
Thanks.
I have separately downloaded some 15 apps that I wanted to use in this software.
Now I find that I have to open the software's interface, go to right hand thumbnail column, click on Apps - Add new apps, browse to the folder where I have kept the downloaded package, and then it installs.
And this thing I have to repeat for each of 15 or so apps I downloaded.
I don't find it at all intuitive and convenient.
Some alternative methods should be devised,
like
- have an New_Apps_for_Install folder in this software's drive, let the user move any freshly downloaded packages to that, and the software automatically installs any and all packages it finds in that folder, or
- let the user drag drop all freshly downloaded packages to user interface of this software, all in one go, and the software automatically installs that one by one.
- or some other such convenient method you can devise.
Thanks.
When I have to download a package from this site,
1. I have to go through the so many categories in the all Aps list
2. I have to click on an app, that opens a new page.
3. I have to click on download link there.
sometimes the "download" prompt appears right there, otherwise
4. that opens sourgeforge page, in which the counter runs down from 5 to 0.
sometimes after that counter runs, the download prompt appears, otherwise
I have to click on that "direct link" or "mirror site" that appears on sourceforge page.
That is it. So many steps required in downloading a package from site.
And same to be done each time if I had to download 20 packages.
So much bandwidth and time gets wasted while your site keeps on opening so many pages and sites.
The following may be considered.
1. Don't show so many categories. It is more convenient to locate something which is in as single alphabetically sorted list.
2. If possible, show a tick box next to each software, so that users can tick all the software in one go, and then the site presents them for download one by one or even in a single zip file.
Not really my idea. This is what your app's installed IME interface is already doing.
3. There is no point opening a software description page for each software. We know what we are doing and what we want. so, giving a "download" link directly next to the main apps page will be convenient. Of course a "more..." button can also be given for those who do want to read more information for that software, that button will open a separate page having full description as well as having the download link there also.
4. fix these three different behaviors for download. when software can be directly downloaded by clicking the download button here on the site, what is the need of going to sourceforge page, and why does sourceforge makes us wait 5 seconds for each download, it should download directly when redirected from this site, and after their counter runs down, why doesn't it automatically start the download and stucks for us to click the direct link.
Thanks.
Unfortunately resuming is not supported yet. We use the Windows networking components to handle downloads and enabling the ability to resume leaves many files behind at present (aka not very portable). Resume is on the list of future additions: https://portableapps.com/node/28593
The previous attempted downloads are deleted from the contained temp directory automatically as hey can't be resumed at present.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
ok. thanks for clarifying.
It is ok if resuming is added in some future version.
However, why does it remove history of downloads queued?
Even those software that were marked for downloading but were not started to download, even that list disappears. There is no resuming there. That was to be fresh download whenever net connection is re-established, either automatically whenever the software senses availability of net, or by users manual intervention.
so, please give it a thought.
- whenever a download is interrupted due to net problem, you can remove that partly dowloaded package, but keep that software in the list and download that afresh in future, whenever net connection is re-established, either automatically whenever the software senses availability of net, or by users manual intervention, and then continue downloading next packages.
- there is no need to attempt downloading (and failing) a software next in the list when a particular download has already failed, meaning a net problem.
Just stop downloads there till the user confirms to restart downloading when the use has corrected the net problem
Suggestion:
- Allow your IME to use some external downloader (say, orbit in my case) for downloading software marked for download in ime. it is because all the external downloaders are now supporting resume (if the site provides that).
- You don't even need to wait for user to select all 50 software before starting downloading them. As soon as user ticks a software, just send that particular software link to externanal downloader so that download already starts while the user spends time browsing through the list and selecting further packages.
- in such a case, again, some automatic (convenient) method be provided so that many packages downloaded by external downloader be installed quickly and conveniently in your software. The same was elaborated in one of the replies above.
- Maybe you can use the "Download" location of the external downloader to read the packages from, or you can also provide option for a download location in which you store downloaded package, instead of deleted them after installation, as was described above. Then the user will make sure that the download location defined in browser and in external downloader and in your software is same.
Why exactly do you delete the downloaded package after installing that. Let it remain for backup by user so that we don't need to re-download all the things in case of a disk failure or something like that.
Thanks.
When you lose your network connection, each successive app is attempted and fails. Any downloaded fully before you lose connection will install and then the updater will "complete" with errors. The updater is then finished running at that point. No history is maintained between instances of using the updater. Losing connection or having no network is not treated any differently than any other network error.
I think having the updater detect fails due to a network outtage and the re-queue them would be a useful first step in better handling users with poor internet. I also have some ideas on how to handle it gracefully. So, I'll add that to the upcoming features list now.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Your user interface window has a single fixed size.
It can be moved around the screen, but its size can't be changed.
No point keeping such a big window open for someone who has just one or two apps to use
nor can its size be increased for someone who has 30 apps.
so please give open to reduce or increase its size for the convenience of users.
And also to change the width of two columns so that we keep the window at minimum size that will be enough for us to make it operate.
for me, just 2-3 initial letters of software names will be enough for me to identify my 20 software that I can then run.
Also, I don't want to see all those categories of documents, music, pictures, video, explore, which would just open a folder.
I don't even want these categories to be there in my install drive.
so, allow us to hide or altogether remove these categories from display and from drive.
I have even physically deleted the Document folder (including music, pictures, video folders) from my drive, so nothing is there, but your user interface keeps on showing the four thumbnails, and so does your icon right-click, but nothing happens when I click on that.
Just a wastage of time and efforts, and screen space.
I think all right column can be given in a menu which can be activated by a small icon (like new all browsers have) or by pressing ALT key, so no need of wasting so much precious screen real estate space.
In any case, all these are there in your systray icon right click.
Thanks.
Thanks.
As a menu, the UI only comes up when you interact with it and then hides when you don't, so it being bigger than strictly necessary isn't an imposition. The ability to enlarge it and display more apps is planned in a later release. We'll be revamping the UI in version 14 or 15 as we transition from the very old Delphi XE2 to Delphi 10 Seattle to take advantage of Windows 10 High DPI as well as Windows 7/8 and then adding additional abilities.
The icons on the right are folder links and will be customizable to names, icons, and locations of your choice in an upcoming release. We may add an option to hide them as well, but the menu will likely not get smaller horizontally. Hiding options within a hamburger style menu has been shown to be confusing to users in multiple studies which is why mobile apps are now transitioning away from it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
After I have installed 15 apps, I find that your systray-icon right click - all installed apps has separated them in 7 different categories.
Now, I have to remember which app has gone to which category and had to move through right click menu to that category and then to app to run it.
It is too much confusing. I don't want any categorization. I want a single alphabetically sorted list showing all apps, so that I can quickly reach and find and click my desired app to tun that.
Thanks.
Not many people use the system tray, and those that do generally have tons of apps, so no one had asked for a selection between ways of displaying all apps. I've added it to the feature request list. It shouldn't be too hard to implement.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
so, the names of downloaded packages are "FireFox Portable" and "Thunderbird Portable"
and they have been installed in the drive with the same above names.
but somehow, your interface as well as systray icon right click menu displays them as "Mozilla FireFox Portable" and "Mozilla Thunderbird Portable".
Why add this confusion? Why can't a single same name be used everywhere?
Thanks.
Our apps have a package ID that is used in the installers. In this case, FirefoxPortable. Mozilla, however, required us to use the name "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" for the actual display. We could alter the package ID to match, but it would require all users to have their install directory altered which can break quite a few things.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!