The latest trend in the computer industry is making a big splash despite its small frame.
Small, portable, USB compatible devices, capable of holding several gigabytes of data, are a viable alternative to compact disk media for file transfers and data storage. The two mediums have combined to crush the archaic floppy disk under the weight of its own 1.44 megabytes.
These thumb-sized vaults of information have found a new and immediately popular niche in their ability, thanks to faster USB technology, to run full program applications at speeds comparable to native hard disk access. This realization has led to an entire industry filled with "portable applications"—software programs that run completely on removable USB memory drives and make no changes to system settings or files. This development adds new meaning to the words plug and play. When the user is finished, the drive can be unplugged and used in the exact same way on a different computer.
Most of the currently available portable applications are freeware, meaning they can be used free of charge without limitation, and many of them, including portable versions of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird, are part of the open source software revolution.
One of the more popular sources of self-named portable software is PortableApps.com. The consistently updates site has the latest portable/standalone versions of Firefox, Thunderbird and a variety of other useful applications including the popular Microsoft Office replacement, Open Office and a fully functional visual FTP client.
A second site that makes the rag cut is The Portable Freeware Collection. This site gets the PRrag seal of approval because its owner not only makes constant updates, but consistently removes software from the database if it contains any form of adware or spyware or makes any changes to your system settings or hard disk.
Article comments
1 - nugget
Very interesting! I gotta get me one of these. Before I google, you know the max space on a usb portable drive? What's the equivalent "write-protect" feature of it? Does it have one? Really cool stuff.
2 - nugget
$115! A little more than your average floppy!!
I guess they figure 4 GB is grounds for that kind of price....
3 - leftyfb
Another great place to get portable applications and news about portable storage media: no install
4 - dan
portable apps is a GREAT site and has ALOT of good software. I cant pretend that everything that I have gotten from it is picture perfect (I've downloaded blender portable and it has some bugs) but overall the thing is just awsome.
I would be wary, however, of adding any sort of "autoplay menue" to your flash drive as I've found that this can lead to compatibility p[roblems especially on networks (school) where the CD partition of the menue takes up an extra drive letter.
I would also highly advise you NOT to purchase one of the new "U3" drives. The U3 software ushers in a whole slew of problems without any benefits that cannot be obtained from the portable apps site. In particular it has caused my computer to not regognize the data portion of by drive and also caused by computer to mysteriousely reboot. I have read that I am not the only one with these problems.
5 - Kostya
Hi I have a question, I like using portable programs at school from my USB device but some of them are refused internet access like portable Gaim for example. Is there any way around this?
thank you
6 - Daniel
I tried software from portableapps as well. I bought the latest model of NOKIA 5300 with 2GB microSD installed. I can now worked basically from my handphone. About a month ago, i watched a TV review on cybeshack and its kind of interest me too, its this SmarThumb software suites that are able to work in any USB storage device, including my NOKIA phone. Cool man, i now use it comfortably to encrypt my files in my HDD.
7 - mash
i use a i/o magic 80 gig micro drive its about $79
bucks i have over 100 portable apps and i use it totally it is my computer when out side my house .
it runs every thing from open office, email, web designer to game emulators so have fun and make all your friends envious.
8 - Sergio
go portable!
9 - Ricgal
Here it is September 2008. One of the early comments was the price of USB memory. It has been cut in half and half again, maybe even more, since this article was written!
Exciting
10 - Ghyoom
Thank You