Having spent a lot of time on this forum and learning about and encountering all sorts of issues, there is something that keeps nagging and bugging me:
There are currently three options to install MusicBee: full, portable, and 'store'.
For the sake of making my case, I'm going to list a brief and opinionated summary of these three versions:
Full Install:
- Antivirus software causing problems.
Over the years there have been many bug reports and posts on issues that proved to be caused by antivirus software.
- Difficult to restore MusicBee settings to a new PC or a new Windows install.
You'll have to learn and understand which folders and files you need to locate and back-up, and how to restore them to your new install.
'Store' version:
- Users posting and asking about issues that have already been resolved with more recent patches.
- Users asking for help, forum members trying to assist being unaware of the user using a 'store' version, which results in miscommunication about folder and file locations, "I am using the most recent MusicBee version" (which is usually not that recent), etc.
Portable install:
- no issues with antivirus software (if they occur, easy to resolve)
- easy to backup
('easy' is an understatement here; simply copy your whole MusicBee folder, back-it-up, paste it to a new install, whatever)
- easy to update
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Cut to the chase:
Why not just completely stop publishing and maintaining Full install and Store versions?
Are there valid and weighty benefits to them that trump the negatives that justify their existence?
.