What is the difference between “setup” and “install” based on computer programs?
According to Wikipedia search “setup” directly means “install” on computer.
Edit:
According to Wikipedia search "setup" does not directly means "install". "setup" is just another word for “install" on computer.
Installation (or setup) of a computer program (including device
drivers and plugins), is the act of making the program ready for
execution. Because the process varies for each program and each
computer, programs (including operating systems) often come with an
installer, a specialized program responsible for doing whatever is
needed for their installation.
but why we use two different words to describe one thing?
While in some cases (such as in Visual Basic 6 where you can create “setup.exe” of your program) “setup” used to define making a program execution ready but also in some cases (such as office programmes) “install” used instead of “setup”.
Are both 100% same or have slight differences?
Best Answer
Install means to put a program on your computer. Setup can mean to configure the program, including various options, as in:
I would say that when you are installing a program, you are also performing its initial setup, so either word could be used in that context. Put another way, you can set up a program after it's been installed, but you can't install a program after it's been set up.
By the way, there seems to be a slight logic flaw in the wording of your question. You said:
I wouldn't say that the parenthetical "(or setup)" after the word "Installation" indicates that "setup directly means install". "Directly means" seems too strong an interpretaion for language. Instead, I would say:
The difference is slight, but subtle. My wording implies that, when installing a program, you could also use the word setup – but setup may have other meanings as well. Your wording seems to imply that setup is more of an exact synonym, with no other meanings.
I'd diagram the difference like this:
Put another way, I wouldn't say:
because the word right, in addition to being the opposite of wrong, can also mean the opposite of left, or describe a 90-degree angle. That's why I'd say something more like:
In this case, I would say:
which is an accurate statement, and aligns with what you found in Wikipedia.