Browser boards are convenient. They also disappear when a tab crashes, a login expires, or an ad script breaks printing. A local crossword client keeps files on disk you control.
When browser wins
Locked-down PCs. Quick cafe sessions. Trying a brand-new puzzle site once. Zero install policy. Temporary travel without admin rights.
When XWord wins
Offline travel with saved packs. .puz archives. Timed club practice. Rebus and diagramless modes. GPL-3.0 requirements for lab images.
Ads and accounts
Browser sites often fund themselves with ads. Newspaper sites add subscriptions. XWord’s client has no paywall on GitHub Releases assets. Puzzle content rights still apply to files you open.
Switching
Download a .puz when a site offers one, then open it in XWord. Guide: switch from browser. Install: Windows.
Shared desk pin
Shared desks should pin the Releases URL beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one local crossword open before workshops begin. Travel laptops should download once on a trusted network, then solve offline with puzzles already on disk.
Club download discipline
Club volunteers invent Softonic mirrors when a first launch is blocked. Prefer returning to GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword instead. Write the exact filename on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest for the whole room.
Classroom images
Classroom images drift when someone keeps a private copy of an old exe. Prefer the current tag that still ships XWord-Windows.exe and XWord-macOS.zip together. Linux builders should document their wxWidgets version beside the commit they built.
Family PCs
Family PCs benefit from a boring puzzle folder path. Keep Across Lite or a browser board as a fallback until the new window feels normal. Subscription newspaper apps remain optional for archives and are a different job than a local .puz client.
Publisher note
Across Bind publishes install maps for people who searched for crossword software. Upstream XWord remains GPL-3.0. When Releases change asset names, re-check the live list before you refresh a lab image.
Lab and travel
Lab and travel notes also matter for crossword habits. Pin the puzzle folder path beside the installer name. After every blocked SmartScreen or Gatekeeper prompt, return to the same GitHub Releases URL instead of inventing a second download mid-session. That boring rhythm keeps shared desks honest.
Desk logistics
- Ticket line: OS, asset name, puzzle folder
- Demo door: one official path for volunteers
- Travel rule: trusted network first
Write the OS version, asset name, and puzzle folder on one ticket line. Clubs should assign a single demo door so volunteers stop mixing Across Lite, browser tabs, and XWord without notes. Travel kits should carry puzzles on disk only when policy allows encrypted storage.
After the first week
Only then add Package Manager downloaders, heavy layout floating, or diagramless drills. Prefer one documented update habit. Re-check Releases whenever upstream publishes a new tag that still lists your OS asset.
Related
More desk notes
Prefer one Releases bookmark in the browser profile used for installs. Refuse email attachments that claim to be a crossword updater. After every lab reimage, open one cached .puz before you call the image ready for students. Keep Across Lite only as a labeled fallback, never as a silent second installer path without a ticket note.
Frequently asked questions
When should I stay in the browser?
Stay in the browser when install rights are missing, when you only need a quick daily grid, or when a school policy blocks desktop software. Local XWord needs a one-time install from GitHub Releases.
Do browser sites open .puz files?
Some do, many do not. XWord is built around local puzzle files such as .puz and jpz. If you already archive .puz downloads, a desktop crossword client usually fits better than tabs alone.
Are browser sites open source?
It varies. Many are proprietary web apps with ads. XWord is GPL-3.0 with public source. Compare licences before you promise a lab an auditable crossword stack for shared machines.