Pen drives as portable computers

wdhpr · 24. Jan 2010, 08:32 PM

The best thing I like about pen drives. You can take your stuff with you. Your email and browser are all set the way you want them. Family pictures and video's as well as your favorite application available on the fly. This all fits on something you can carry on your key chain.
The part that I like the best is hearing your friends say (all that on that little thing)
Pen drives are very cheap now. I see 4 gig pen drives selling for $19 US all the time. There are many free portable application launchers being developed.
So far I am using and sticking with Portable Apps. http://portableapps.com/ (works well in linux using wine)
Cameo being one recently mentioned on this forum. http://cameo.binarybums.com/download.htm (I haven't tried yet) Has some great screen shots though.
Remember Application launchers like these require a host operating system like Windows to operate.

Puppy linux is very cool. I know Ubuntu and other linux distro's allow you to boot off a pen drive, however IMHO none do it better than Puppy linux. You can install Puppy on a pen drive 2 ways. Both ways boot off the pen drive. You can install it to leave files on your hard drive giving it a larger storage capacity. This will also allow Puppy to run faster.
The second way (the way I use Puppy) Uses the computer memory only and will not write files to the hard drive. After you shut down it will then write any changes to your pen drive. I am using a 1 gig pen drive for Puppy linux and I still have 500 megs of storage left. Puppy is very light and weighs in at 140 megs. Very nice to have if a friend needs help accessing a computer that won't boot.

Cheers
Wdhpr

Ritho · 25. Jan 2010, 06:21 AM

Long ago, back in the "dark" days, that is before the bright birth of our site here, I remember Gizmo himself writing in his newsletter about going laptop-less (Thankfully not just top-less!

) on vacation with just a pen drive. Portable apps have made a lot of progress since then. I doubt the days will ever come when all Windows programs are as simple as 1. Download 2. Unzip anywhere you want and 3. Run it, but there has certainly been a lot of apps that have joined the no-install-necessary ranks.

"Long ago.....?" Okay I know it has only been a couple of years or so, but it sure feels like a long time. It would be interesting to find out how many of our users/members here used to be original subscribers to the TechSupportAlert Newsletter.

miskairal · 25. Jan 2010, 08:54 AM

I have just returned from a week away where I took hundreds of photos of my brand spanking new granddaughter. I had my browser on my USB along with a portable email programme and other bits and pieces but forgot to take a graphics editor. All I wanted to do was send some cropped and resized baby pics to my Mum and do you think I could achieve that on my daughter in law's pc? Nope. Next time I will be taking photofiltre (or similar) with me.

It really is wonderful to have all your own bookmarks and other favourite software with you though and so much more convenient than taking a whole laptop/netbook.

Ritho · 25. Jan 2010, 11:19 AM

@ Miskairal would you do something for me? As a portable apps user, would you compare Photofiltre portable, with Sunlitgreen PhotoEdit and let me know which one would have met your needs the best.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multime...Portable.shtml
I am afraid that having used advanced programs for so long, I have a hard time judging what an average user might be interested in.

I ran across Sunlightgreen's programs recently and they look pretty good. I have been thinking of including a good portable app in my Best Free Digital Image Editor reviews.

Anybody have another portable image editor they like?

miskairal · 28. Apr 2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ritho

@ Miskairal would you do something for me? As a portable apps user, would you compare Photofiltre portable, with Sunlitgreen PhotoEdit and let me know which one would have met your needs the best.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multime...Portable.shtml

I am so sorry Ritho, I didn't see your post until now. Looking at the date it is when my sweet little dog was killed by wild dogs and I was a bit of a mess for a long time after. I shall do as you ask over the weekend I hope and get back to you. I am familiar with GIMP as well but don't like to use it just to crop and resize. In fact I have tried many freebies over the years for this simple chore but always return to Photofiltre.

Ritho · 28. Apr 2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miskairal

I am so sorry Ritho, I didn't see your post until now. Looking at the date it is when my sweet little dog was killed by wild dogs and I was a bit of a mess for a long time after. I shall do as you ask over the weekend I hope and get back to you. I am familiar with GIMP as well but don't like to use it just to crop and resize. In fact I have tried many freebies over the years for this simple chore but always return to Photofiltre.

Thanks, it is/was no big deal. To tell the truth I had totally forgotton this post and about Sunlitgreen or I would have just tried it out myself. I think it was something I had just run across at the time an was on my mind when I read your post.

miskairal · 30. Apr 2011, 10:57 PM

Sunlightgreen is a nifty little programme Ritho especially for simply cropping and resizing. It did ask me to install something.....to do with faces....but it was simply a choice of clicking OK or cancel to leave it out (no checkboxes to uncheck). The only thing that Photofiltre has, and sunlight does not, that I do occasionally use is the ability to add text to pics.

rikishi19 · 02. May 2011, 12:43 AM

I've never used those two mentioned programs before, but IrfanView is another one to add into the hat, for simple editing functions such as cropping and resizing.

wdhpr · 08. Sep 2011, 12:23 AM

Puppy's pretty cool indeed.

Been using it for around 2 years now, all from a 1gb sub drive still have around 250mb left. It truly comes into its own to help access a computer that wont boot. I have an 8gb usb drive that I'm going to install Puppy on so I can copy personal files from a hopelessly broken Windoze. It works so good I should start renting out my Puppy

Exshail · 24. Feb 2012, 05:21 PM

can you provide details like download link for puppy linux & how to set up to boot from pen drive?

24. Jan 2010, 08:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
wdhpr Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The north Coast Posts: 1,513	Pen drives as portable computers The best thing I like about pen drives. You can take your stuff with you. Your email and browser are all set the way you want them. Family pictures and video's as well as your favorite application available on the fly. This all fits on something you can carry on your key chain. The part that I like the best is hearing your friends say (all that on that little thing) Pen drives are very cheap now. I see 4 gig pen drives selling for $19 US all the time. There are many free portable application launchers being developed. So far I am using and sticking with Portable Apps. http://portableapps.com/ (works well in linux using wine) Cameo being one recently mentioned on this forum. http://cameo.binarybums.com/download.htm (I haven't tried yet) Has some great screen shots though. Remember Application launchers like these require a host operating system like Windows to operate. Puppy linux is very cool. I know Ubuntu and other linux distro's allow you to boot off a pen drive, however IMHO none do it better than Puppy linux. You can install Puppy on a pen drive 2 ways. Both ways boot off the pen drive. You can install it to leave files on your hard drive giving it a larger storage capacity. This will also allow Puppy to run faster. The second way (the way I use Puppy) Uses the computer memory only and will not write files to the hard drive. After you shut down it will then write any changes to your pen drive. I am using a 1 gig pen drive for Puppy linux and I still have 500 megs of storage left. Puppy is very light and weighs in at 140 megs. Very nice to have if a friend needs help accessing a computer that won't boot. Cheers Wdhpr

25. Jan 2010, 06:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ritho Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,379	Long ago, back in the "dark" days, that is before the bright birth of our site here, I remember Gizmo himself writing in his newsletter about going laptop-less (Thankfully not just top-less! ) on vacation with just a pen drive. Portable apps have made a lot of progress since then. I doubt the days will ever come when all Windows programs are as simple as 1. Download 2. Unzip anywhere you want and 3. Run it, but there has certainly been a lot of apps that have joined the no-install-necessary ranks. "Long ago.....?" Okay I know it has only been a couple of years or so, but it sure feels like a long time. It would be interesting to find out how many of our users/members here used to be original subscribers to the TechSupportAlert Newsletter. __________________ The smallest good deed is better than the greatest intention.

25. Jan 2010, 11:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
Ritho Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,379	Aha! I just found a victim. @ Miskairal would you do something for me? As a portable apps user, would you compare Photofiltre portable, with Sunlitgreen PhotoEdit and let me know which one would have met your needs the best. http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multime...Portable.shtml I am afraid that having used advanced programs for so long, I have a hard time judging what an average user might be interested in. I ran across Sunlightgreen's programs recently and they look pretty good. I have been thinking of including a good portable app in my Best Free Digital Image Editor reviews. Anybody have another portable image editor they like? __________________ The smallest good deed is better than the greatest intention.

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25. Jan 2010, 08:54 AM	#3 (permalink)
miskairal Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Qld, Australia Posts: 129	I have just returned from a week away where I took hundreds of photos of my brand spanking new granddaughter. I had my browser on my USB along with a portable email programme and other bits and pieces but forgot to take a graphics editor. All I wanted to do was send some cropped and resized baby pics to my Mum and do you think I could achieve that on my daughter in law's pc? Nope. Next time I will be taking photofiltre (or similar) with me. It really is wonderful to have all your own bookmarks and other favourite software with you though and so much more convenient than taking a whole laptop/netbook.

30. Apr 2011, 10:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
miskairal Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Qld, Australia Posts: 129	Sunlightgreen is a nifty little programme Ritho especially for simply cropping and resizing. It did ask me to install something.....to do with faces....but it was simply a choice of clicking OK or cancel to leave it out (no checkboxes to uncheck). The only thing that Photofiltre has, and sunlight does not, that I do occasionally use is the ability to add text to pics.

02. May 2011, 12:43 AM	#8 (permalink)
rikishi19 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 153	I've never used those two mentioned programs before, but IrfanView is another one to add into the hat, for simple editing functions such as cropping and resizing.

08. Sep 2011, 12:23 AM	#9 (permalink)
wdhpr Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: The north Coast Posts: 1,513	Puppy's pretty cool indeed. Been using it for around 2 years now, all from a 1gb sub drive still have around 250mb left. It truly comes into its own to help access a computer that wont boot. I have an 8gb usb drive that I'm going to install Puppy on so I can copy personal files from a hopelessly broken Windoze. It works so good I should start renting out my Puppy

24. Feb 2012, 05:21 PM	#10 (permalink)
Exshail Banned Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 32	can you provide details like download link for puppy linux & how to set up to boot from pen drive?