[Python-Dev] why is not 64-bit installer the default download link for Windows? (original) (raw)

Paul Moore p.f.moore at gmail.com
Wed Jul 11 04:08:21 EDT 2018

On 11 July 2018 at 06:39, Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> wrote:

On Wed, Jul 11, 2018 at 05:14:34AM +0300, Ivan Pozdeev via Python-Dev wrote:

On 11.07.2018 1:41, Victor Stinner wrote: >2018-07-09 18:01 GMT+02:00 Steve Dower <steve.dower at python.org>: >>The difficulty is that they definitely can use the 32-bit version, and >>those few who are on older machines or older installs of Windows may not >>understand why the link we provide didn't work for them. I think Steve's comment is right on the money. Although professional programmers should be a bit more technically competent than the average user, many are just hobbiest programmers, or school kids who are just as clueless as the average user since they are average users.

I'm perfectly happy for the default installer that you get from the obvious first choice button (the one that says "Python 3.7.0") on the "Downloads" drop-down to be the 32-bit installer[1]. But making people who know they want the 64-bit installer click through "View the full list of downloads" -> "Release 3.7.0", scroll down to the bottom of a page that looks more like a release note if you just glance at the top, and find "Windows x86-64 executable installer" is a bit much. And the convoluted route is a nightmare for people like me to explain when I'm trying to tell people who I know should be getting the 64-bit version, how to do so.

Which is why I'd like to see a bit more choice on that initial dropdown. Just a second button for the 64-bit version is enough - for the full lists the set of links to the left of the dropdown is fine.

Paul

[1] Although I strongly dislike the fact that there's no indication at all in that dropdown that what you're getting is the 32 bit version, short of hovering over the link and knowing the naming convention of the installers :-(.

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