Why do software companies use download wizards for large files instead of letting users download the file directly?
Is it so the user does not get discouraged by the waiting time, or is it something else?
Why do software companies use download wizards for large files instead of letting users download the file directly?
Is it so the user does not get discouraged by the waiting time, or is it something else?
I'm not a big fan of them, but several reasons come to mind:
To add to GrandmasterB's list above (btw, love the alias ! :)
In the case of Chrome, it is probably also related to the way they can apply binary diffs to your already-installed version. A download manager / installer that knows things about the product can choose to download only the needed parts (check current version, check available version, request and download suitable diff, apply diff), as opposed to a generic downloader that would have to download the full release.