System and method for installing software applications

An apparatus comprising:

• a processing system coupled to a memory storing an application menu screen program,
• wherein the processing system executes the application menu screen program to perform operations comprising:
• displaying an application menu screen comprising a fixed number of menu item display locations, at least one of the menu item display locations displaying a menu item for a non-installed application;
• and
• wherein each menu item for a non-installed application is controlled in accordance with a respective installed script or other code, which when executed by the processing system, causes the processing system to perform operations comprising:
• determining whether the corresponding non-installed application is available/unavailable for downloading from a server;
• displaying an announcement screen, comprising one or more screens, in response to selection of the menu item for the corresponding non-installed application, the announcement screen comprising an announcement message and, if the script or other code for the selected menu item determines that the corresponding non-installed application is available for downloading from a server, further comprising a selection item configured to initiate a downloading operation for the corresponding non-installed application;
• initiating the downloading operation in response to selection of the selection item;
• and
• controlling an aspect of appearance of the menu item based at least in part on availability/unavailability of the corresponding non-installed application for downloading from a server, wherein
• each non-installed application is installable separately from installing of other applications.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable script or other code stored thereon, wherein the script or other code comprises instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations in connection with a respective menu item for a non-installed application displayed on an application menu screen comprising a fixed number of menu item display locations, the operations comprising for each respective menu item for a non-installed application comprising:

• determining whether the corresponding non-installed application is available/unavailable for downloading from a server;
• displaying an announcement screen, comprising one or more screens, in response to selection of the menu item for the corresponding non-installed application, the announcement screen comprising an announcement message and, if the script or other code for the selected menu item determines that the corresponding non-installed application is available for downloading from a server, further comprising a selection item configured to initiate a downloading operation for the corresponding non-installed application;
• initiating the downloading operation in response to selection of the selection item;
• and
• controlling an aspect of appearance of the menu item based at least in part on availability/unavailability of the corresponding non-installed application for downloading from a server, wherein
• each non-installed application is installable separately from installing of other applications.

A system comprising a processing system and configured to generate a menu screen comprising menu items for both installed and non-installed applications, wherein each menu item for a non-installed application is controlled in accordance with an installed respective script or other code which, when executed, causes the processing system to perform operations associated with the corresponding menu item comprising:

• determining whether the corresponding non-installed application is available/unavailable for downloading from a server;
• displaying an announcement screen, comprising one or more screens, in response to selection of the menu item for the corresponding non-installed application, the announcement screen comprising an announcement message and, if the script or other code for the selected menu item determines that the corresponding non-installed application is available for downloading from a server, further comprising a selection item configured to initiate a downloading operation for the non-installed application;
• initiating the downloading operation in response to selection of the selection item;
• and
• controlling an aspect of appearance of the menu item based at least in part on availability/unavailability of the corresponding non-installed application for downloading from a server, wherein
• each non-installed application is installable separately from installing of other applications.