Go to work on a USB stick drive

[Bob Crabtree]

Is it really possible to create a practical working environment on a USB stick drive? Seemingly so - and easily, too, with no need to get down and dirty with Linux - according to Bob Crabtree

Well, I'm scared witless by the idea of trying to create a Linux-based self-booting USB stick drive but when I saw about these portable Windows apps - three of which I use everyday in their desktop incarnations - I though, ooh, I CAN do that!

And blow me down if I wasn't right. I found it really is very easy to do and everything seems to work very nicely, too - if, that is you are connecting to a USB 2.0 port and not a slow old USB 1.1 port.

More in this mini review.

[Matt1eD]

I've followed portableapps.com for the past few months as they've slowly built up some decent stuff since their other sites port of FF, and I love them. V. useful at school.

[sir4]

Bob
I have been using my thumb drive for months now. I wouldn't leave home without them(backup). It saves me from lost or stolen laptops and excessive electronic equipment and adaptors. It reminds me of "back in the day" when we carried two floppy disks one was the OS and the other held our work. Isn't it funny how technology keeps repeating itself.
Butch

[autopilot]

Good article Bob, love the idea of a portable OS, but no mention of the effetcs of constant read/writing to USB flash drives. When you download portable firefox it's set to 0 days history, no cache, etc, for that reason i believe.

I'm no expert though, can anyone confirm if using a USB flash drive in this manor really does significantly reduce it's lifespan?

[bledd]

you should use PStart its a Portable application launcher, excellent tool, and a must have! -add it to your review after testing it


http://www.pegtop.de/start/





one of the most handy portable freeware utils!