Great Install Experience With Expression Web 2 Beta
Shortly after reading Mike Ormond's blog post about Microsoft Expression Web v2 Beta, I decided to download and install the latest bits. Aside from the numerous improvements that have been cited here, here, here, here, and here, I was immediately impressed by the install experience. Here are a few screenshots that I grabbed during the installation (click for higher resolution photos):
This is how an installer should look. I especially like the animation and transitions that were incorporated during the "Next, Next, Next, Finish" dance. Major kudos to the Microsoft Expression Web team for getting this right.
The installer is a vital component of any application. It's the first thing your users see and it's the first place users go to resolve problems. They can make or break how your users' confidence in your application. Thankfully, both Visual Studio and our partners provide great tools for building robust installers. Personally-speaking, I'm a big fan of Windows Installer XML (WiX) Toolset.
Looking forward to seeing what's new in Microsoft Expression Web v2 Beta.
