Create Over the Air Installers Quick and Easy with AirWizard

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.teksoftco.com/index.php?section=airwizard' target='_blank'>http://www.teksoftco.com/index.php?section=airwizard</a><br /><br /></div><i>"AirWizard is a unique Desktop PC tool that comes in handy for Over the Air solutions. With AirWizard, you can take several CAB files, a splash image, a readme text file with instructions and create a compressed, self extracting installer to be runned directly on your Pocket PC or Smartphone. With AirWizard you can create one single installer for all your favorite programs. Think of the time you could save with this tool!"</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Jerry-airwizard.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />This sounds almost too good to be true. Can you imagine being able to install all of your programs, after a disaster for example, with just one operation? This list of features is staggering including being able to install the cabs in any order you choose! This almost negates the need for backup software. There is a fully functional trial version available and you can buy it for 44.95 euros with PayPal. Once purchased it says you are emailed your registration code automatically.

[Mike Temporale]

That is pretty cool. And based on how often I switch devices.... I wonder how this works? Can I put the results up on a web server someplace and just hit it from my phone when I need a rebuild? That would be great, especially if I could store more than 1 configuration there. :mrgreen: I'm going to have to read up on this tool.

[chucky.egg]

It does look neat, especially for us lucky few with unlimited data

Multiple configurations shouldn't be a problem - all you are actually doing is downloading and installing cab files OTA, so you just setup multiple configurations and call the one you need. In theory.

The registration process asks for your device Owner Name, which might mean that it is fixed to that - I've asked them for clarification about restrictions related to that but haven't heard anything yet.

The demo version only lets you put one CAB file into a package, so it's not possible to see how it would behave in a "real world" situation. I'm getting a licence today so we will see.

[chucky.egg]

Licence key came through almost immediately by the way ;)

Need to do some testing, but on the face of it it does exactly what you'd expect - package up a group of CAB files for "easy" deployment.

Would like to have had the option to set the install path per CAB without having to enable the Advanced Settings (which give the device user more control over the process).

One thing to note: If you're running this on a Smartphone you need to double-click the Action hardware button as the "OK" and "Cancel" on-screen buttons can't be reached


I can see it making my life easier, but not by a huge amount - the real benefit over having a bunch of CABs on your SD card is that (in theory) you just need to open/run one file... and that file can be on t'internet

I manage a small group of WM PDAs, so a centralised, managed installer would be useful there too.

[Jerry Raia]

Thanks raul for jumping in. :)