[esp-r] Beta testers requested for a new native windows installer for ESP-r

[Jon Hand (clcv10)]

This is a call for volunteers....

We are in the final stages of proving a new version of ESP-r.
One of the tasks is to ensure that the native Windows
version of ESP-r rolls cleanly onto a variety of PCs (old, new,
fast, slow, lots of memory, short on memory etc.).

I am looking for volunteers who are willing to be sent a BETA
version of the windows installer to try out on a computer and
report back observations about what works and what needs
to be tweaked.  I will use a service called dropload which
sends you an email message with instructions for downloading
the installer (which is about 36MB).

Types of feedback requested:

a) did the installer run  [ yes no]

b) where the messages in the installer helpful [ yes no suggestions....]

c) were the steps clear [ yes no suggestions...]

d) did it create the folders it should have (C:\Esru and C:\GTK)  
[ yes no ]

e) did it correctly patch the 'path' variable [ yes no]

f) was it possible to startup ESP-r from the desktop icon [ yes no ]

g) was it possible to browse to the example models in the
     C:\Esru\Models folder an open and play with such models [ yes no  
sort-of ]

h) was it possible to 'own' one of the exemplar models - and
    where did it xcopy the files to and was it possible to open
    that model after it was copied and/or click on a cfg file and
    start up the project manager focused on that model  [ yes no sort- 
of ]

i) if you are a guru at Inno Setup or ISTool and know how to make the
    installer work better please feel free to make suggestions. We would
    be happy to share the 'iss' file.

j) what was the machine type [   ], OS [   ], memory [  MB], disk  
space [  GB]
    you tested the installer on.

Because it is a BETA installer there is a risk that ESP-r
will not work or that on a particular machine/OS combination
there are problems observed.  And of course volunteers will
backup any working version of ESp-r on their test machines ;-)

And there are lots of new goodies in the version about to be
released you get a chance to see it first....

Feedback (just email back the a-j sections above) will help us
make the installer more robust.

If you are interested - please email jon at esru.strath.ac.uk
with your name and email address and I will forward the
installer to you!

Regards, Jon Hand