Firstly I just want to say thank you to all the developers behind PortableApps, it's awesome.
I've used PortableApps for years but not on USB for a very long time. In 2017 when a capable smartphone is incredibly cheap (and tablets and laptops only slightly less so) carrying software on a USB stick is mostly limited to people who work in PC repair, maintenance/support.
That being said the PortableApps platform is indeed brilliant . It's brings everything that's great about a Linux repository to Windows. Plus the added security benefit of never having to give (most) programs admin rights, ever.
The fact there portable is not a selling point to most people but the idea of a universal software repository has been a hit with Android (Google Play), iOS (App Store) and Linux for years. It would be a God send for the non-technically minded billions that use WIndows everyday.
Has this been considered? A rename/rebrand to become the free software "App Store" of Windows.
Like I said PortableApps is nothing less than brilliant but the name and USB/portable branding is confusing and a put off to many that would actually love it.
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There is already the official Microsoft app store
I don't mean it literally needs to be called the app store. I'm not proposing a specific name, I think your missing what I'm really saying. Aiming PortableApps at USB's is targeting a microscopic fraction of the people that would find PortableApps helpful. The repository system is helpful to everyone .
Also the Microsoft store is just not nice to use at all and is aimed at "modern" apps. The software PortableApp's provides and packages is far more widely used.
You were listing all the official ones so I assumed you may have been unaware of Microsoft's own.
That said, there are already unofficial app stores out there for Windows, such as Chocolatey and Ninite, and PackageManagement (aka OneGet) which is part of Windows 10 PowerShell.
>Aiming PortableApps at USB's is targeting a microscopic fraction of the people<
I disagree with this. To have essential software on a portable device is big help and around my colleagues, coworkers, customers etc, I do not know anyone not having suitable portable media (usually usb stick) with the most essential software on it.
One of the organizations I work for sometimes, even does issue a hardware encrypted usb stick to every employee asking them to have essential software with them all the time.
I am not sure if you did not misunderstood what it is all about here. It is about programs which have been specially treated so they can be used as portable, meaning they do not need to be installed.
What you suggest, is simply a repository of windows software , installed or portable. This is definitely not the idea here. Here it is only about programs which are not installed into windows.
For a collection of just normal windows programs, there many, probably hundreds of such repositories for many years on the net.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
You don't know anyone who doesn't carry a USB full of apps, in 2017?
I'm guessing you work in IT support.
Think about your family and everyone stemming off them do any of them use one?
"Hundreds" of Windows repository systems already exist?
I've obviously touched a raw nerve here.
you look after repository of windows software. Yes there are many, many of them.
This here is a repository of software which has been specially adapted to run without installation into the system. This is called portable or portabilized software. BTW this expression is also used by big commercial companies producing portabilized software for large enterprise systems.
Windows software repository might have some of the portable software, but will probably have 99.9% of non portable software in it, meaning software distributed in some standard windows installer format.
Software repositories exist since the 90ties, some are biased more towards games, other towards technical software other have more hacked paid software as their main purpose. There are definitely hundreds of them all over the world.
I indeed do work in communication and electronics, but all people around me have portable apps on a stick and on their computers too.
For years now.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
Having self contained applications that don't touch system directories has benefits far beyond USB sticks. It's the same principles appimage files, iOS and Android uses.
Edit: I didn't mean to offend, having a system were people in the IT industry can have a USB full of apps on the go is great and helps a lot of people. When I said a microscopic fraction I just meant relative to it's potential user base. If PortableApps continues to market towards USB sticks its still helping a lot of people and I applaud it.
Your view seems to be shared keyboard_rookie.
https://portableapps.com/comment/232734#comment-232734
"Fewer and fewer people use the apps portably"
Ed
Thanks for the replies, interesting to see straight from the horses mouth that many people have moved away from USB's but continue to use it regardless of the name and marketing. Technically portable is the right word anyway as it generally just means it's self contained and doesn't require external files when talked about in a software sense. That being said for non technical users it is still confusing enough for them to overlook it as a simple place to download and update there software especially with the USB direction being pushed.
I've tried ninite and chocolatey and see PortableApps as superior in most regards. I wasn't aware of PackageManagement though. From a quick glance it still requires apps to be installed in system directories and could potential cause issues, haven't checked if it has a nice GUI like PortableApps yet either.
We adjusted the taglines and main page a while ago to read 'cloud, local, portable' and similar. Some of the internal pages may not be updated yet.
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