Fantastico auto-install for Joomla

Tim -- Great question, thanks for asking.

Fantastico and com_updater really are different ends of the spectrum, and actually quite complimentary.

The short answer though, is that you'll use Fantastico once - to install Joomla! the first time. You'll use the updater forever, to extend the capabilities of your site and to keep your site patched with the latest security updates.

com_updater really starts where Fantastico leaves off - after Joomla! is already installed (manually, with Fantastico or however you get that to happen), and you are working to build your site.

A typical use case would be adding Community Builder to Joomla.

You could (without the updater):
1) go over to the community builder site, create an account, login
2) download the 1 component and 3 modules to your hard drive
3) login to your new joomla! site, click on extensions > Install / Uninstall
4) "Upload File and Install" each of the downloads you did in step 2 (4 times, total)

Or ... with the updater
1) login to your joomla site, Click on Components > Add Software
2) click on "install" next to Community builder
(Oh, and wait about 30 seconds or so, it's a big package and installing lots of functionality)

I sometimes like to use VirtueMart as an example, because it is very complicated and there there are 15(!) individual packages to install for the base. But it's a little harder in the updater, too: it actually takes clicking the "install" button twice (I'm working on fixing that).

Other benefits are coming along as well, but it's the "ease of use factor" that I want to get right, first.

So some of the benefits of com_installer include:
-) ease of installing (and finding) packages
---> saves a LOT of time!
-) security updates - many times you can patch your system by just clicking the "update" button when we release a new package.

What do you think the benefits of the the updater will be?