Why a registry? (was RE: Binary Dist (setup program) for Win32)

This is a wee (way?) bit off topic, so please indulge me.

It seems that, nowadays, we tend to clamor for applications that DON'T touch
the Windoze registry.  I know I am more willing to try out an application
that doesn't touch the registry.  What did the registry really buy us
besides utter frustration if/when the registry ever got corrupted?  Or
having to manually edit the cryptic registry because the uninstall program
didn't work?  (That's happened to me more times than I want to remember.)

The other, somewhat related, thing I've never figured out is why
applications that supply their own DLL's, that no other app will ever use or
know about, have to put those DLLs in the Windows folder?  Why don't they
just keep it in their own folder?

Is this all strictly a Windoze "feature"?  Or do other OS's have to deal
with this, too?

- Dan Bale
(I am *NOT* "Dale"
http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200105/msg00281.html )
SAMSA, Inc.
989-790-0507
DBale@SAMSA.com <mailto:DBale@SAMSA.com>
  Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
  (Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)

-----Original Message-----
From: linux5250-admin@midrange.com
[mailto:linux5250-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Scott Klement
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 7:48 PM
To: linux5250@midrange.com
Subject: Re: [LINUX5250] Binary Dist (setup program) for Win32

On Sun, 7 Apr 2002, Martin Rowe wrote:
>
> Scott
>
> I don't think it behaves like a real Windows app - it didn't even require
> one reboot, let alone the usual five, to get it installed ;-)

True, it also doesn't install any DLL's in \WINDOWS\SYSTEM, and it
doesn't modify the registry.  This means that it's much less likely to
create conflicts with existing software, or make the system crash.

Clearly, we'll have to work on requiring reboots, corrupting the registry
and breaking other software compatability in the next release -- otherwise
Windows users won't take us seriously.

<snip>