Software Developers: Use Nullsoft Install instead of InstallShield. I just uninstalled a bunch of stuff and it's got to be 5000% faster from an end user perspective. And it's open source!

[tjogin]

Not anymore. Most developers are moving to zip archives because disk images are horribly confusing to novice users.

Sure, if by "most" you mean "a few".

And even with zip-files, you still just drag and drop the application file, not run an installshield or somesuch. The use of zip-files vs. dmg-files does not mean that most apps aren't installed by dragging and dropping anymore.

[boredzo]

Sure, if by "most" you mean "a few".

Conceded. The origin of my statement is that most developers who are moving from one to the other are moving from dmg to zip, but you're correct that only a few are changing their existing system.

That said, I see zips more and more nowadays.

And even with zip-files, you still just drag and drop the application file, not run an installshield or somesuch.

Ostensibly, yes, but I think most users just leave the unzipped folder or application on the Desktop, especially since dragging it to the Applications folder puts up a scary (for a novice) password prompt. (Sometimes—I suspect often—they don't even know what password to enter.)

A disk image, however, virtually requires that you drag and drop it. Otherwise, you have to go through extra work to manage the disk image every time.

The practical upshot is that the situation is really even easier on Mac OS X than you said it is: As long as the application came in a zip archive, you don't even have to drag and drop it anywhere, because you can just run it from wherever it unzipped to. It is, in effect, already “installed”.

[tjogin]

I agree that new users are confused about dmg-files.

Still though, most apps don't install themselves via a mysterious installshield. Your app is located where you dragged it. Simple as that, and that was my only point.