22 May 2007

Portable Applications

I know that some of us at one time or another have needed to access commonly used programs, files or settings, but we weren't at our own computer. It can be frustrating and wasteful, not to mention you may not be able to get something done that you had hoped to. Well, welcome to the stage PortableApps.com.

Their trademark of "Your digital life, anywhere" really states what they are trying to accomplish. They have taken popular opensource/freeware programs and made them executable from a thumb/flash drive, within a polished interface that really keeps everything simple and easy.

This is just my own personal review of the product and not a paid advertisement. I felt compelled to write about the program because after I have tried it, I found it extremely useful. My work does not allow me to install my own programs for security reasons, so this program fits my needs wonderfully.

With my computer at work, I am stuck using Internet Explorer (which I loathe!) and now with PortableApps, I am able to run Firefox and have all my bookmarks available where ever I go. I'm also able to access my email with Thunderbird, edit a picture with the GIMP photo suite, and access my home FTP server all with this great program.

The best part about it is that it leaves no "footprint" behind when you are finished. No cookies, temporary files or downloads. When you are done, you just close it out and unplug your drive. It really works best if you have a drive that is at least 1GB, although you can trim down the programs and be able to use a 512MB drive as well. Right now I'm using slightly over 512MB of my 1GB drive and I use the rest for my files.

If you travel a lot, switch computers frequently, or have an office with strict computer policies, this program really opens up a lot of options for you. Give the program a try and let me know your thoughts on it. I really think you'll enjoy it!

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