11-07-2002, 02:30 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Take a .CAB Ride
http://www.pocketpcaddict.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=12
I am not sure what is in the water that the guys over at Pocket PC Addict drink, but it does seem to contribute to the amusing articles. :wink: Gary B. Garland wants his Pocket PC to be more independent than ever, able to download and install any app or driver without needing a PC. Having recently myself installed two apps via .CAB downloads while on the road I can appreciate the sentiments.
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11-07-2002, 03:46 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 307
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I agree!
I agree wholeheartedly. I'm not always at my desk (my sole PPC sync connection), and I hate to wait to get to the office to be able to install some fabulous new app or to re-install something I already have. Developers should give us the option of downloading the .CAB rather than an installation package.
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11-07-2002, 05:29 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 382
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The only downside I see is that you lose the ability to manage the installs from Active Sync.
On the other hand you don't have to manage the installs from Active Sync.
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11-07-2002, 05:31 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 85
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Re: Take a .CAB Ride
:lol: Well, Ed, first and foremost, the arsenic traces in the water have only helped my writing, and second, that .cab article was the most clever thing I've ever read. Ooops, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm glad you found my pocket pc woes amusing  Seriously, I have not (yet) had the misfortune of being in the situation I described, on the road lacking drivers or critical files, but it is inevitable. When I schlep into NYC (rarely these days) I'm using my iPAQ (lil' buddy) as the hub of my portable office. Wanna print? Sure, I bring a portable printer, but without PrintPocket CE it's just a pretty paperweight. Love my stowaway, but chuck the driver and it's a bookend. I have had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with Sprite Software's embedded backup software - in particular, the scheduling has only worked for me a handful of times, even though I set it for nightly backups. What does this mean? One nasty shock/zap, or hard reset, and I'm unable to produce output for the day. I have gotten nailed with hard resets on my ipaq 3630. Now, I do store .cab files on my storage card, along with my backups - but what happens if i lose the ipaq, or it gets damaged and I need to produce output on the spot? I could buy another ipaq (financial ouch) or even an upcoming cheapie Dell, but without my drivers and software, I'm dead.
If enough people write to the sites that count, at least for business productivity software and drivers, then we can at least attempt to scrape our collective sorry software dead butts off the ground and become semi productive members of society. Or something like that.... :roll:
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11-07-2002, 06:45 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 46
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Oh yea this is a biggie, your browsing the web and you find a great new app that you need right now, you click the download and - dang - no .CAB download got to wait till you get home or in the office to try it. I now keep a SD card with just CAB file for just my important programs (the one that have only CABs).
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11-07-2002, 06:49 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 298
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Is it possible to save the cab file for later re-installation on your desktop PC? I.E. extract the CAB file from the .exe, and save it to a flash card in case you need to re-install it later on the road?
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11-07-2002, 06:50 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 92
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CabInstl to the rescue
I've been installing my apps directly from .cabs for months now, since as times goes on ActiveSync Installations tends to get very very slooow for some reason :roll:, so I decided to download and installed on my Pocket PC a nice app called CabInstl from http://s-k.al.ru/wincepdaru.html#ci, and then went to the ActiveSync directory on my PC to retreive the .CAB files that I needed and transfered them to CF and install from there.
CabInstl not only gives you the option not to delete the .CAB after installation, but it allows you to install to whatever path you like (main memory, SafeStore, CF, etc.)
Very nice app! :wink:
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11-07-2002, 08:20 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 658
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too bad that site for CabInstl is completely in Russian and the app is probably in Russian also. :roll:
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11-07-2002, 09:07 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 93
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There's an idea.
Start a freeware PPC software site. Make sure it's optimized for PPC screens, and instead of the Installers have the .CAB files available for download.
Does this exist?
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11-07-2002, 09:48 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by toshtoshtosh
There's an idea.
Start a freeware PPC software site. Make sure it's optimized for PPC screens, and instead of the Installers have the .CAB files available for download.
Does this exist?
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Handango.com is aready doing this with some software. You have to visit with a PPC to see it.
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Linear Mode
