What Is The Difference Between Portable Installable Apps? |
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When downloading apps, you might have been presented with the option to download the install or portable version of the same app. If it’s the first time you’re hearing of apps being ‘portable’ you might wonder if there’s a catch to it. You might also question why all apps aren’t developed to be portable since it is very obviously possible. We’re addressing the pros and cons of using a portable vs. installable version of the same app and why some apps simply do not have a portable version when others do. A portable app is an app that you simply run without it installing anything on your system. It runs as a single instance of itself, requires no setup, and can be used right-away. Think of it as a light bulb that you can plug into any standard holder. An installable app requires set-up. Set-up might take just a few minutes or maybe even an hour depending on the app. The app can only be used once setup has successfully completed. Think of it as a special bulb you’ve bought that might require a special holder, or maybe some new wiring to be installed before you can use it.
The differences between the two app types makes it seem as though portable apps are just better but it’s important to remember that apps that need to be installed have this requirement because they need a much broader framework to run. You can’t reasonably think of an installable version of the Android Development Environment to be portable. Even the portable version of Photoshop is labelled ‘Lite’. For tools that are meant for simple, quick actions and little to no processing, a portable app works but anything that is going to be processor intensive, an installable version is what is normally developed. Perhaps in the future, portable apps will become the norm. At present, web apps are increasingly becoming more powerful and they run inside browsers so it could happen. It depends to a great extent on whether it’s worth it to make an app portable and if it can still perform as well, or better. Windows 10, when it was still in the Beta version, had a feature that allowed users to move installed apps from one drive to another one. The feature didn’t make it to the final stable version and was instead postponed. It’s a testament to how such a function, while useful, is difficult to execute. Read What Is The Difference Between Portable & Installable Apps? by Fatima Wahab on AddictiveTips - Tech tips to make you smarter |