[R] R 2.10 under Windows XP: glitches and successes

[Ross Boylan]

I just installed 2.10 on XP; ESS is my primary interface.

I seem to be able to access all the help files; under 2.8.1 I was having
seemingly random problems accessing some help topics (including one day
I could and a few days later I couldn't, and vice-versa).  That's good.

I noticed a few glitches.

First, the installer asks if you want text, CHM, or HTML help, but
offers only text or HTML.  I understand CHM has been removed; I guess
this is just an old message.

Second, install.packages("intervals") produced the usual line about
selecting a mirror, but no selection list popped up.  It just sat there
until I interrupted the session and reentered the command with a
pre-specified repos.  I selected custom install but took the defaults; I
noticed there was some optional tk/tcl stuff (which I did not select);
I'm guessing it's required for these selections.  Perhaps it should be
installed by default?

Third, every time one asks for help on a new topic there is a
considerable delay (seemed like forever, probably c 15 seconds) before
the help comes up.  My first thought was that the on-demand help was
being assembled, but I didn't see much CPU use.  It might be latency in
talking to MSIE, and this latency might even be from my (Sophos)
antivirus software, which kept warning me about a program suspiciously
launching MSIE.  If you ask for help you already requested there is no
delay (good) and it does not focus on the tab with the relevant help
(which strikes me as the ideal behavior, though it may be hard to do).

Fourth, I read the previous comments about how more beta testers would
be useful :)