[icefox]

If you follow the link on the main page to "Learn more about how Bowery works." it first asks you to install npm

1) Is npm something that comes standard with any operating system these days?

2) Why do I have to install something on my system to "learn" how it works?

This page should probably be what many comments here are trying to say which is that the site doesn't really say what it is. Something like Google App Engine, but using Node?

[idProQuo]

npm is the Node Package Manager. I think it's assumed that if you've been working with Node.js (or other things in its family, like CoffeeScript), you've already downloaded npm. It's like when a Python framework says "Just use pip install!" or a Ruby project says "Download our gem!"

That said, they really should have more info before dropping you on the install page.