Board index » delphi » InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions

Robert Smit

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 09:23:46 GMT

InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions

I would like to hear from any developers that have upgraded their
Borland Limited Editions to the Full Express version of InstallShield.

Were the added capabilities worth the money?

What about your support experiences?

Is the product stable?

Thanks in advance!!!

 
Scott Marti

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 09:53:59 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Robert,

Check out: (InnoSetup)
http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
InnoSetup Extensions
http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
ISTool (GUI for Inno)
http://www.istool.org/

Was never a big fan of Install Shield. You may consider Wise
if you feel Inno is not for you.

Regards,
Scott

Quote
"Robert Smith" <rsmith[remove]@triad.remove.rr.com> wrote in message

news:d969avo18ccs2khmsk75j8lv9no2a95a63@4ax.com...
Quote
> I would like to hear from any developers that have upgraded their
> Borland Limited Editions to the Full Express version of InstallShield.

> Were the added capabilities worth the money?

> What about your support experiences?

> Is the product stable?

> Thanks in advance!!!

Kevin Powic

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 11:51:23 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


In article <3ea4a...@newsgroups.borland.com>, scottmar...@pdq.net
says...

Quote
> Check out: (InnoSetup)
> http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
> InnoSetup Extensions
> http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
> ISTool (GUI for Inno)
> http://www.istool.org/

> Was never a big fan of Install Shield.

Agreed.  We used InstallShield for years and it just kept getting more
bloated and more expensive.

Inno's been able to do everything we need.

--
Kevin Powick

Phillip Flore

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 12:11:26 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Quote
Kevin Powick wrote:
> In article <3ea4a...@newsgroups.borland.com>, scottmar...@pdq.net
> says...

>>Check out: (InnoSetup)
>>http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
>>InnoSetup Extensions
>>http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
>>ISTool (GUI for Inno)
>>http://www.istool.org/

>>Was never a big fan of Install Shield.

> Agreed.  We used InstallShield for years and it just kept getting more
> bloated and more expensive.

> Inno's been able to do everything we need.

Another installer I came across...QSetup from www.pantaray.com

--
Cheers,
Phillip Flores
"Keep track of your time...Use VeriTime"
http://www.pcfworks.com

Robert Ruf

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:07:22 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Quote
> Was never a big fan of Install Shield. You may consider Wise

We had a disaster using InstallShield where it corrupted the setup due to
running out of disk space (but it did not ever crash/complain/warn).  We
ended up burning a corrupt install.  We switched to Wise and have never
looked back.
Robert Smit

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:57:14 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


"Scott Martin" <scottmar...@pdq.net> wrote in news:3ea4a0b6
@newsgroups.borland.com:

Quote
> Robert,

> Check out: (InnoSetup)
> http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
> InnoSetup Extensions
> http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
> ISTool (GUI for Inno)
> http://www.istool.org/

> Was never a big fan of Install Shield. You may consider Wise
> if you feel Inno is not for you.

> Regards,
> Scott

Thanks for the feedback!  I have a special need for a product.  I need an
installation for both stand alone and client/server installations, so I
need for the installer to be able to specify where to install databases
(like InstallShield has it's own "DatabaseDir" variable.

I had tried InnoSetup in the past, but couldn't figure out how to get the
same functionality out of it.  Do you know if this is possible with
InnoSetup?

Thanks!

Robert Smit

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:59:11 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Robert Smith <rsmith[remove]@triad.remove.rr.com> wrote in
news:d969avo18ccs2khmsk75j8lv9no2a95a63@4ax.com:

Quote
> I would like to hear from any developers that have upgraded their
> Borland Limited Editions to the Full Express version of InstallShield.

> Were the added capabilities worth the money?

> What about your support experiences?

> Is the product stable?

> Thanks in advance!!!

Thanks to all who have replied!  I am checking out all of your suggestions!
David Farrell-Garci

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:29:13 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Quote
Robert Smith wrote:
> I would like to hear from any developers that have upgraded their
> Borland Limited Editions to the Full Express version of InstallShield.

> Were the added capabilities worth the money?

> What about your support experiences?

> Is the product stable?

> Thanks in advance!!!

We have both Wise InstallBuilder 7.XX and the full version of
InstallShield Express 4.0.  We did not purchase a support subscription
so are pretty much reliant on the newsgroups.  So far we have not had
any problems at all with InstallShield.  I don't know what the
complaints the others had here but I would ask them to be specific
before making your decision.  As you may already know, the vast
majority of commercial applications use InstallShield.  I don't think
Wise is any cheaper then InstallShield.

--
David Farrell-Garcia
Orca Software & Technologies

Posted With XanaNews  1.14.3.7

Scott Marti

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:29:50 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Robert,

Here is a link that might point you in the right direction:
http://www13.brinkster.com/vincenzog/isxart.asp?idart=28

You may also specify components that will allow users to select
the type of install (Single or Client/Server) and install accordingly.

There are also other articles to review:
http://www13.brinkster.com/vincenzog/

Another place to visit would be the NG of Inno. You will
find an answer to most any question you have.

news.jrsoftware.org

Regards,
Scott

Quote
"Robert Smith" <rsmith.rem...@triad.rr.remove.com> wrote in message

news:Xns9365654133A45rsmithremovetriadrrr@207.105.83.65...
Quote
> "Scott Martin" <scottmar...@pdq.net> wrote in news:3ea4a0b6
> @newsgroups.borland.com:

> > Robert,

> > Check out: (InnoSetup)
> > http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
> > InnoSetup Extensions
> > http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
> > ISTool (GUI for Inno)
> > http://www.istool.org/

> > Was never a big fan of Install Shield. You may consider Wise
> > if you feel Inno is not for you.

> > Regards,
> > Scott

> Thanks for the feedback!  I have a special need for a product.  I need an
> installation for both stand alone and client/server installations, so I
> need for the installer to be able to specify where to install databases
> (like InstallShield has it's own "DatabaseDir" variable.

> I had tried InnoSetup in the past, but couldn't figure out how to get the
> same functionality out of it.  Do you know if this is possible with
> InnoSetup?

> Thanks!

Kevin Powic

Delphi Developer
Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:44:13 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


In article <3ea55...@newsgroups.borland.com>, dav...@orcasoftware.com
says...

Quote
> I don't know what the
> complaints the others had here but I would ask them to be specific
> before making your decision.

Points against InstallShield

* Resource intensive program.

* Bloated installs.  At one point InstallShield Express forced you to
use Windows Installer technology. I only discovered this after
upgrading (release 2.x to 3.x ??) This may have changed in later
releases.

* More complicated that it probably needs to be.

* Expensive

Points for Inno

* Lightweight program and installs.

* Easy to learn and use.

* Free

--
Kevin Powick

Youseful Softwar

Delphi Developer
Sun, 09 Oct 2005 01:53:06 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Robert
you can also try Youseful at www.youseful.com.
You can program your own custom install components if necessary. And write
your code in Delphi to respond to events that occur in an Install

Joe Mele
www.youseful.com

Quote
"Robert Smith" <rsmith.rem...@triad.rr.remove.com> wrote in message

news:Xns9365654133A45rsmithremovetriadrrr@207.105.83.65...
Quote
> "Scott Martin" <scottmar...@pdq.net> wrote in news:3ea4a0b6
> @newsgroups.borland.com:

> > Robert,

> > Check out: (InnoSetup)
> > http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php
> > InnoSetup Extensions
> > http://www.wintax.nl/isx/ Inno w/ scripting
> > ISTool (GUI for Inno)
> > http://www.istool.org/

> > Was never a big fan of Install Shield. You may consider Wise
> > if you feel Inno is not for you.

> > Regards,
> > Scott

> Thanks for the feedback!  I have a special need for a product.  I need an
> installation for both stand alone and client/server installations, so I
> need for the installer to be able to specify where to install databases
> (like InstallShield has it's own "DatabaseDir" variable.

> I had tried InnoSetup in the past, but couldn't figure out how to get the
> same functionality out of it.  Do you know if this is possible with
> InnoSetup?

> Thanks!

Jeffrey A. Wormsle

Delphi Developer
Sun, 09 Oct 2005 01:59:36 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Kevin Powick <nos...@nomail.com> wrote in
news:MPG.190f1f4cc3122dfc9896bf@newsgroups.borland.com:

Quote
> At one point InstallShield Express forced you to
> use Windows Installer technology.

I actually consider this to be the prime reason for using it.  So far, the
only drawback is that it is now impossible to put an install on a floppy.  
But that is very minor.

For people who need to distribute software over the net to dialup
customers, it is probably wholly inappropriate, due to the size of the
installs.  If you need to distribute software to corporate customers, its
very appropriate, due to the use of Windows installer (self repair, install
features on demand, automatic install at managed Windows installation).  It
really all depends on your needs.

Jeff.

David Farrell-Garci

Delphi Developer
Thu, 13 Oct 2005 23:57:20 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Quote
Kevin Powick wrote:
> Points against InstallShield

> * Resource intensive program.

You mean for the end-user or the developer.   It is not a problem on my
development machine and I have not yet had an issue about resources
raised by a customer.

Quote

> * Bloated installs.

Bloated in what way. It seems that I have the ability to accept or deny
any dependicies.

 At one point InstallShield Express forced you to

Quote
> use Windows Installer technology. I only discovered this after
> upgrading (release 2.x to 3.x ??) This may have changed in later
> releases.

It ONLY supports the Windows installer.  Actually, that is why I bought
it. Our customers were asking for the Windows installer in our setups
to make it easier to modify and repair installations.

Quote

> * More complicated that it probably needs to be.

I guess that is relative.  I did my first setup in less then half hour.

Quote

> * Expensive

more expensive then freeware but right in there with other major
commercial installers, but at only a few hundred dollars, it would not
take too much time trying to bolt together a freeware version to
surpass my costs for Installshield, as time is costly.

Quote

> Points for Inno

> * Lightweight program and installs.

> * Easy to learn and use.

> * Free

I have downloaded it and will certainly take a look to see if we want
to add it to the toolbox, but on first pass, it was not as intuitive as
InstallShield Express, and was missing a lot of features I get out of
the box with InstallShield.  Also I don't want to invest much time in
learning a new installer and it looks like you have to do a bit of work
to find all the interesting pieces at different sites to bolt it all
together into something productive.

--
David Farrell-Garcia
Orca Software & Technologies

Posted With XanaNews  1.14.3.7

Kevin Powic

Delphi Developer
Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:39:09 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


In article <3eabf...@newsgroups.borland.com>, dav...@orcasoftware.com
says...

Quote
> > * Resource intensive program.

> You mean for the end-user or the developer.   It is not a problem on my
> development machine

Maybe not on today's hardware, but when the 3.x version came out, it
was killer on the developer's machine.

Quote
> > * Bloated installs.

> Bloated in what way. It seems that I have the ability to accept or deny
> any dependicies.

Bloated in that you pretty much had to include the "optional" Windows
Installer because you couldn't be sure that the target system already
had it.  Things are probably different now that Win9x is slowly
disappearing.

Quote
> It ONLY supports the Windows installer.

I think that is terrible since there a lot of other reasons one my want
to use an installer program without creating a multi-megabyte download.

Quote
> Actually, that is why I bought
> it. Our customers were asking for the Windows installer in our setups
> to make it easier to modify and repair installations.

I guess you can't argue with the customer. ;-)

Quote
> > * Expensive

> more expensive then freeware but right in there with other major
> commercial installers, but at only a few hundred dollars, it would not
> take too much time trying to bolt together a freeware version to
> surpass my costs for Installshield, as time is costly.

We used InstallShield Express (IE) from when it was first released
until we discovered Inno Setup, around IE 3.x.  For us, there has been
nothing that Inno has not been able to handle.  It comes with a simple
wizard, but learning the scripting language was a breeze.

--
Kevin Powick

Lauchlan

Delphi Developer
Fri, 14 Oct 2005 13:49:42 GMT

Re:InstallShield Borland Limited vs. Full Express Versions


Quote
> the box with InstallShield.  Also I don't want to invest much time in
> learning a new installer and it looks like you have to do a bit of work
> to find all the interesting pieces at different sites to bolt it all
> together into something productive.

You don't have to use the other bits and pieces, it is just easier to use
extras such as ISTools when you first learn it. Innosetup is self contained
and reasonably feature rich, and the developer maintains a feature requests
page and tries to build in new features that are requested if they aren't
already there.

HTH

Lauchlan M.

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