Get our Latest Finds
Subscribe to our RSS feed or enter your email address below to get the feed delivered to you by email:
Follow Gizmo
Using this Site
Top Rated
Gizmo's Freeware is Recruiting
We are currently looking for people with skills and/or interest in the following areas:
- Rootkit Scanner and Remover
- Web Browser for Android
If this sounds like you then click here for more details
Two Free Portable Application Launchers
By sheer coincidence I was notified about two different application launchers on the same day. I've had a quick look at each and they are both impressive though they adopt very different approaches. They are tiny downloads and don't need installing so try them both and see which one best suits your style of working.
Appetizer
Here's what the developer Laurent Cozic wrote:
"Appetizer is an open source launcher (or dock) for Windows with support for plugins and skins. It's in general more flexible but less flashy that its competitors. For example, it doesn't have elaborate zoom animations like Rocket Dock, however it supports skins and its entire appearance and exposed functionalities (buttons, etc.) can be fully customized if needed. Additionally, one of the main focus of the app is being lightweight and portable.
My initial goal was actually to allow it to run from any USB key on any Windows systems (2000, XP and Vista are currently supported) without admin rights to be required. I also release a version of it compatible with the PortableApps.com framework (it's currently unofficial and only available on the PortableApps.com forums).
The plugin system is based upon the Lua scripting engine, which means anybody can create a plugin with a simple text editor without having to know a low level language like C or C++, and without the need of a compiler. The plugin API is fully documented with examples at http://app.etizer.org/api-reference
In the same way, the skin is very easy to customize since there's only one image to edit. The app is currently bundled with two skins."
http://app.etizer.org/download (1.3MB)
CodySafe
News of this product came from the folks at http://www.pendriveapps.com. Here's what they said:
"This is a great free tool that is far more useful and convenient than the standard PortableApps menu. With CodySafe you can:
- Manage and launch Portable Applications from your USB device
- Turn any portable drive from a simple storage into a Computer On A Stick.
- Manage any kind of portable apps (not just PAF)
Additional tools and features like Drive Doctor, Find-if-Lost, etc. make it even more attractive."
http://www.codyssey.com/products/codysafe.html (1.7MB)
For some more options see:
Best Free Start Menu Replacement
Gizmo
- Article type:
Printer-friendly version
Comments
Portable Application Launcher:
http://www.download.irohde.de/en/launchv3
I must say...though a bit late, I too am confused by these devices. I have tried several...but nothing beats my ability to create a second task bar (XP)to create a simply applications launch. I am not one for a lot of icons all over my screens nor do I prefer going to Programs.
A 2nd task bar placed on the side of the screen (which auto hides, if selected) is all that I need...unless of course I'm missing something about the particulars of such items.
isn't Launchy portable now? seems to be....maybe that's not the same as running from a USB stick though?
I am so confused. A simple direction for a simple mind. I am a regular computer user, not a novice. I have a stick drive. What does one of these items do? Give me a simplr example. Don't forget, this website is for all of us.
These days many computer applications are available in a portable form. What this means is they don't have to be installed into your C:\Program Files directory as is normal, and generally speaking don't write anything to the system registry. Portable applications are "stand alone" and can be installed on a portable drive such as a USB flash drive or an SD drive for example, and can be then used on any computer with a compatible system, and once you are done you simply unplug your USB apps suite and no trace is left on the computer you have used. What these launchers do is provide an environment in which to easily access and launch your portable applications, very much like the start menu in Windows does. Otherwise every time you wanted to launch one of your apps you would have to navigate to the install location and click the executable file for that program, as you would in Windows without your start menu or desktop shortcuts. It isn't necessary to use one of these launchers, it just makes the whole process more user friendly, especially since some of these launchers now have the capability for a "one click update" for the apps you have installed. Also, portable applications and launchers can just be installed into your "Documents" or on your D drive for example, thereby reducing the number of programs you need to have installed on your machine and thereby reducing the size of your registry, hopefully leaving you with a more efficient computer.
I don't see the purpose for this. If you had your laptop then why would you need a portable app? Anyplace I go will not allow a USB stick to be plugged in. If I need a document that I really need, it would be on my laptop, smartphone or even a cloud type setup. Online storage is also a good tool, especially when places wont let you plug in anything or even insert a disk; such as a library, work or even friends who care what is being ran on there computer. Sorry I just don't get this idea as a reliable option.
@Smiddieus8
It really depends on how you use computers and mobile devices. I have a handful of programs on a USB stick. I use a desktop, a laptop, and a netbook. I'm not always online, or anywhere there is internet access, so storage in the cloud is out.
It's useful to be able to carry my email program on a USB stick, plus programs, documents, and anything else I think I might need. Being able to work on things while not online is great.
Using an application launcher means I don't have to drill down through files and folders on a USB stick.
I also help people who have computers who have no internet access, occasionally because they've reformatted their disk after talking to tech support at one of the larger computer vendors. :)
The point of this is for when you are away from home and do NOT have your laptop -- e.g., at a friend's house, an airport, a hotel, etc., anywhere that provides a PC (usually a desktop).
You could do your email over the web if your email host provides for that, which most do. But what if you need to have a lot of your emails with you, or what if you just prefer all the functionality of a real email client like Thunderbird (which also allows you to have a lot of your previous emails with you).
What if you want to use Firefox, with all your customized add-ins, instead of the IE that is almost inevitably the only browser on a public PC?
What if you don't want any trace of where you browsed left on the public PC, for example in IE's History file -- your bank, or alt.binaries.sex.dead_donkeys?
What if you need to use an Office-compatible program but the public PC doesn't have it installed?
Those three applications (groups of applications, in the case of Office-compatible suites) are perhaps the most popular reason for portable apps. They, and hundreds of other apps of all kinds, are available (mostly for free) in portable form. Thus they can be installed on an USB flash drive or (if you carry around a ton od documents) on a small USB hard drive. And they leave no traces at all on the public PC.
A little launcher like discussed here allows you to plug in the USB drive and get a little menu to choose which app to run.
I carry a small 64GB USB flash drive with a couple dozen portable apps where ever I go, especially when I travel. It's a real life saver.
Check out PortableApps.com, or CodySafe, among others.
I agree. Please respect the "thread (topic) of the threads" and don't divert them into your favorite app that is absolutely super but isn't within the current thread's realm of coverage.
I like liberkey and portableapps.
Has anyone tried Quick Cliq?
I deleted all my other applaunchers in favor for this one.
I've been using Portable Start Menu for quiet a long time. It is stable and I'm very pleased (http://www.aignes.com/psmenu.htm). PS Menu is free and has nice features, as (quoted from the homepage):
"Organize and launch applications via a tray menu
Closes running applications on USB-Sticks automatically
Checks if an application has been changed before execution
...
Runs on USB-Sticks without leaving any traces on a host PC
...
Close running applications when you exit Portable Start Menu
Safely remove your USB-Stick"
You can also create an autorun file to automatically launch PS Menu when you insert the USB-stick.
I really recommend Liberkey. Takes a little longer to load than some and automatic updating of programs can take a while if you don't have fast RAM in your USB stick...oh, and you need about 5gb for a full install(!) BUT...it has pretty much everything you will need with a *massive* array of applications to choose from.
http://www.liberkey.com/en.html
Been using it for a couple of years now and it's been completely reliable for me.
Completely agree Liberkey is on my master USB drive and my work and home computers. Keeps applications up to date and I have never had an issue (at least two years)
MouseExtender is my personal favorite:
http://me.codeplex.com/
Another good features of Codysafe is the Virusense.
It will shows up notification if there's any change to the autorun.ini file. Thus it will give us early warning whenever autorun virus infection may occured.
Avira will disable autorun function by default. It may trigger Virusense to show alert that autorun.ini file has been changed. But, that is just because Avira wont let autorun.ini file accessed.
Good feature. Wish there will be write protect feature available too if possible. Whenever we plugin our USB drive into foreign pc :)
CodySafe is a nice tool I love most of all I have tried. I love its hot-keys and scripts. They said they will launch password protection soon, looking forward.
I tried many applications for this task. SE-TraMenu is most suitable for me. Very nice customizable interface and good functionality.
http://www.se-soft.com/TrayMenu.aspx
I really like this ap. Thank you for the tip.
I too use PStart as my portable launcher.
Some of the features for individual app files: autorun scripts on startup and close, schedule when the program runs, include a description, add command line parameters, specify the home directory, hide program from system tray, change the program icon, specify hot keys, and something I've never used (because I'm not sure what it does or what to put in it), add environmental variables.
You can view PStart items either in the PStart panel or as a menu similar to the Start menu. Items can be grouped and groups are collapsible, tree-fashion. Any file or folder can be put in PStart, including those on a network or hard drive. (If the item's location is unavailable -- if, say, the file resides on a network not currently connected -- its icon does not appear. The item's setup in PStart remains intact.)
PStart has Search, Notes and Info features. Search can explore the PStart menu and the Windows Start menu for current user and/or all users. Notes can be displayed by first line or full text, and allow scheduled reminders and note grouping. Info contains file system and space used/free for the current drive (if used portably, for the portable drive; installed locally, for the local drive).
PStart app settings are almost too numerous to list, but include: control how items launch, position the PStart panel window and change its appearance, control the system tray icon appearance and behavior, set up 'sensors' on the display to use mouse actions to show the panel or menu, set up search locations, set up Notes appearance and behavior, and schedule automatic backups of PStart settings.
The only thing I can't do in PStart, but wish I could, is control the size and weight of its text. Text color can be changed, though.
Pstart is what I use for my USB toolkit:
http://www.pegtop.net/start/
The comments from CodySafe are misleading. The PortableApps suite launcher allows for software other than PAF and the PAF software, once installed, is just like any other portable folder than could easily be moved to the folder of some other launcher.
Plus, I can easily launch the PortableApps launcher from my flash drive and run all my programs from it. So those comments came as a surprise.
I'll have to give Appetizer a try. I was beginning to think all portable apps launchers were basically exactly the same.
There is also one several people recommended over at the Best Portable Applications article called geek.menu: http://geek-menu.sourceforge.net/.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-portable-programs.htm
Have a look here:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/27/codysafe-app-launcher-gives-port...
Geek.menu is an excellent portable app launcher. It's the main one I use (followed by U3). A couple months ago I compared it with PortableApps launcher and the U3 launcher at:
http://www.tapland.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10669
What I wrote is rather long but I was just writing it as I was learning myself. I highly recommend giving geek.menu a try.
thank you for sharing
------------------------------
i think sTabLauncher is better than all of the launchers. especially beacause of it's tab menu. sTabLauncher is not portable but if you look for something for your computer and not just your usb drives you would find it bettre than all
Wonderful bit of kit, doesn't function at all.
I agree, sTabLauncher is awesome! Unfortunately I don't think it's portable?
sTabLauncher is portable in the sense that it doesn't use the registry, (although it has an XML configuration file holding shortcut settings in appdata folder, which I think can be just copied in the same folder as the executable), but it doesn't use relative paths to launch apps on a removable drive. there's another requirement: the OS which you run it on must have the .NET Framework runtime installed (it is included by default in Vista and later).
However, most average PC users I know use as many as 100 applications, so I think we should start looking for a launcher that has tabs grouped by tabs... (so shortcuts in subcategory tabs in category tabs, such as "FireFox" in "Web-Browser" in "Internet")..
I'm currently thinking of making my own simple menu-launcher for that (I'm a hobbyist programming in Visual Basic since year 2000).
I like your idea Brunetu to group applications by category for quick access. Currently I'm using this method: How to Create a Program Launcher.
Post new comment