There are several ways to tackle this issue. For example, some browsers that offer silent software updates will install into the user's application data folder and hence do not have this problem. We could do the same, but we chose not to because it can be an administrative headache for some people who manage updates themselves and have to maintain an installation for every user.
It is an administrative headache - just as they noted - for some people. The vast majority runs Windows with a single user account. Moreover, installing into %AppData is equivalent to installing into ~/bin - and this is exactly where user's programs should go.
In other words, they have it backwards. They should be defaulting to %AppData with an in-process update mechanism, and optionally let it be installed into an admin-controlled directory, in which case fallback to the service-based updates.
Because you're used to have the choice of installing 'for me' or 'for all users' for aeons now on a Windows system.
Because even my tiny deployments are better and safer if I can make sure that FF is updated for every user of my machines, instead of hoping that they'll get an update next time they browse Facebook.
Because it's wasteful to install the very same software to different places. Yes, storage is cheap on modern hardware. No, not everyone uses FF on modern hardware.
Profiles belong to the user. The application belongs - in a Windows world, in a Linux world - to the system / administrator.
Love the mozilla guys for keeping the expectations intact. Re: "Program Files": Maybe ProgramData would be a decent place to drop updates. Program Files is supposed to be readonly, ProgramData is afaik the place designated for system-wide application data.
Right, and this puts program files into a system directory, but the Start Menu shortcuts into the user's profile. That's not exactly "for me", isn't it?
> Profiles belong to the user. The application belongs - in a Windows world, in a Linux world - to the system / administrator.
That's in a Linux world that is modeled after the Windows one. In a traditional #nix world there are system binaries and there are user binaries. If the user needs something that is not readily available on the box, or if he needs a specific version or whatever, he can install it into ~/bin. Point being, that on Windows this is not even an option. There is no standard location to put user's personal program files into.
There are several ways to tackle this issue. For example, some browsers that offer silent software updates will install into the user's application data folder and hence do not have this problem. We could do the same, but we chose not to because it can be an administrative headache for some people who manage updates themselves and have to maintain an installation for every user.