Ninite: Streamlined Installation

Right about now there are lots of people shopping for computers in anticipation of a new school year, a new job, or a new graduate. A computer is easily the most powerful tool of our age, and with all the ways to customize a machine, it is arguably one of the most versatile as well. However, there is one very annoying and very mandatory thing that everyone, from young owner to old, is subjected to. That is, of course, installing software on the computer.

There are many things to install when you first use your new computer, and many of them are easy to forget because they work automatically, such as Java, Flash, and Adobe Reader. We installed them so long ago on our old machine that the only time we ever think of them is when a pop-up announces we need an update. So it's easy to see why installing every app we've never thought of takes a large amount of time, and frustration if we discover we've forgotten one.

Happily, Patrick Swieskowski and Sascha Kuzins fixed this problem for us when they built their site, Ninite. Ninite is a free service that anyone can use without registering for anything or entering an email of any kind into any box, which is honestly very refreshing. It's a very simple interface for anyone to use: simply click on the programs that you want to install and hit the "Install" button at the bottom of the page. You may also have to get the Installer for Ninite, but it's a very quite download. Hit the run button on the executable file tab and you're ready to go. It takes a while to install everything, depending on how many you chose, so be patient and wait for it to do its job. Ninite knows instinctively which version of the software it needs to install (32 or 64 bit?), and it does it efficiently.

 

All these apps can be yours for free and all at once from Ninite!

Once the installation is complete, you'll be able to use any program it just installed. The icons for successfully installed programs will also appear on your desktop. If you want, Ninite also offers an updater tool which allows you to update all of the free software at once instead of waiting for the pop-up window to tell you it's time. This system allows for streamlined work and is a great help for a busy college student or professional alike.

While it doesn't install professional software you'd otherwise have to pay for (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.), it does provide an easy way to make sure you've gotten all of the free stuff available, and maybe even show you some you didn't know existed! Remember, if you're a Hopkins student or an alum, you can get a free copy of the Microsoft Office Suite from the Hopkins Technology Store. We did a blog article about that service here.

Ninite is a service that works on Windows and Linux systems, so Mac users are a bit out of luck (sorry guys). There are some alternatives for the Mac system though, so don't lose hope! Some good alternatives with decent interfaces are Get Mac Apps and Bodega, but I'd be shocked if Ninite wasn't working on a way to become the app installing center of the interwebs for both PC and Mac. Bodega seems to be a permanent feature to a Mac, with its own space in Launchpad and a Mac interface that is accessible at any time, but this is based on limited interactions with it.

 

Bodega is a Mac alternative to Ninite.

 This tool is hugely useful but surprisingly not well known, so the next time you get a new computer, make sure you use Ninite or one of the Mac assistants to get the most out of your computer's lifetime. Ninite rules!