Quote - I am a DAZ fanboi, and I hate the installers.  The following is as suggestion I wrote, but never posted at DAZ forums, sometime ago.  Since things have change abit from the time it was writen I had to make a few quick edits.  I hope I haven't messed up its original intentions.

    Since this thread has brought up the installers I thought I might post an idea I've had for some time for improving them.  Make a custom zip utility that would still require the customer to agree to the EULA, which it would be embedded in the zip so it could be easy changed for different products, before proceeding.  Once pass the license part it could ran in two modes, Wizard and Advance.  In Advance it would work like any other zip utility so the customer would need to know what they are doing.  Wizard mode would be for newbies, just like the EULA would be embedded into the zip instruction and help files would be embedded too.  These files would guide the user through the install process.  The instruction file would probably be a simple script command file to instruct the program where to place the files based on an analysis of the user's sytem.  The help file would contain helpful tips or warnings that are presented to the user as the script file is executed.  Preferably the script commands needs to be in a simple form and not like programming.  You may now tell me why this won't work or is a terrible idea.

Massive lists of purchased content, mutliple downloads, multiple installers, uncertain updates, uhgghhh.

I have thousands of dollars worth of content from Rendo, DAZ and many dead outlets. A full terrabyte of installers. I know the horror of the DL and install. Its really no better with zip files... well maybe a little better if you could drop them all at once and batch them... but you cant because zip creators are no more consistent than installer creators.

What we want to do is implement something you wont have to think about. It will know if there is an update and do it. It will auto install where it needs to go or, theoretically wherever you have told it to put things.

If you have or have seen an iphone, ipad or ipod and have used the app store, you cant really tell me that the way its implemented isnt elegant. you click, it works. you know when its been updated and can choose or not choose to install. but its painless.

We have not even finished fleshing out potential ideas yet, so its a bit premature to get into this too heavilly, but ill throw a couple of my own ideas out there... what if a badge appeared on the icon of a piece of content in your runtime that indicated it had been updated. Lets say all you had to do is right click and tell it to install and it would. Done. Or maybe, in the same scenario, you actually wanted it put somewhere else you could right click and select custom install, either to pre-defined alternate locations or to one you would type in on the spot. two clicks... maybe a path typed... DONE. 

Maybe you want your machine off the grid and dont want Studio to call home occasionally to see if there are updates.  Well perhaps you could connect when you choose to or could simply log into the store and see if any updates are waiting.

Maybe you could download everything in one batch... a Backup DL or something.

There are tons of ideas we can come up with. I refuse to believe that either installers or zip files are the best possible way to do it. I know better. Comfortable? Maybe, traditional? Maybe... a good user experience for new customers? Absolutely not.

Im sure you could get used to walking on rocks in your bare feet if you did it for long enough, but lush carpet would still undoubtably feel better. 

This is not anything close to the final say on the matter, and once again, I would like to encourage you to all feel free to offer ideas.  Ive already written down the one about using zip files though ;)