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

[Steven D'Aprano]

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.


> >Let's say that only 10% of users still use 32-bit version. If they
> >download a default 64-bit binary, I'm quite sure that running the
> >binary will emit an error no? Such users should be used to such error,
> >and be able to get the 64-bit version, no?

That's a lot of assumptions there. Here are a few things which might 
break those assumptions:

- inexperienced users who haven't installed much software;

- or who don't know that 32- versus 64-bit is a thing;

- conservative users who don't install much software aside
  from using their vendor's official packages;

- users who install from app stores which automatically detect
  the right version of the installer so they don't need to think
  about it (how do app stores handle this issue?);

- or those who expect the default installer to work by default, so long 
  as they pick the right OS (Windows or Mac).

I don't remember what CPU my PC has, and when I can't be bothered to 
look it up, I always go for the default install option expecting that it 
ought to work regardless of whether I have a 32- or 64-bit OS. So far 
that's a strategy that has never done me wrong :-)


> Attached the image of what happens. The message is:
> 
> "One or more issues caused the setup to fail. Please fix the issues and 
> the retry setup. For more information see the log file <hypelink>.
> 
> 0x80070661 - This installation package is not supported by this 
> processor type. Contact your product vendor."
> 
> Pretty descriptive in my book.

Are you being sarcastic?

I would expect that "this processor type" refers to incompatible chip 
sets like ARM versus Intel, not the 32- versus 64-bitness of the 
operating system.

And I certainly wouldn't associate the problem:

    "I downloaded and ran the wrong installer"

with the appropriate solution:

    "I need to hunt for a 32-bit installer, rather than using
    the default"

given that error message.



-- 
Steve