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Run Any App from a USB Thumb Drive

embedded.com — The software, PowerToGo, lets most existing Windows applications run unmodified from the flash drives, Lexar said. The goal is to let users carry their PC environments, including browser settings and instant-messenger clients, in a tiny thumb drive.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jan 13, 2006

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  • theinfobox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I think it is just another scheme to make money for the manufacturers. There are already a ton of things that run from a USB drive at http://portablefreeware.com or http://portableapps.com . Heck, I even collected a 100 of them and made them available in one easy FREE download at http://www.theinfobox.com/index.php/Portable_USB_Apps
  • gdap, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1^^

    Nope, if you read that article you'll notice it's actually about running *unmodified* Windows applications from a USB pendrive, unlike that site, which lists 'portable' versions of open-source apps.
  • northLite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I forgot to add, the problems were probably caused by incompatible extensions or something, and most of the trouble was with certain extensions not working.

    Also, the better headline gets the homepage. Short, sweet and to the point.
  • C0D3R, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Running an app from todays thumb drives is a really bad idea. With a mtbf *per block* running at 10,000 write cycles, it doesn't take long for blocks to start failing. Mind you this isn't "I wrote 1 mp3 file to the thumb drive 10,000 times," it's a typical app writing to the same block on the desk as the app is running that tears upi the drive. BTW, and pre-emptively no less, just suck that.
  • Esso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I assume this thing runs software that has either has no registry settings or runs a modified version of software that has the required reg settings on the thumb drive.

    This would be a great gadget for running software in locked-down corporate environments where admin rights are withheld from users. Any software that requires reg settings during installation normally can't be installed (or just partially installed, with weird results). I may even be able to run iTunes at work instead of a brain-dead version of WMP, which I can't even upgrade without admin rights.
  • Farch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Sorry the slashes in my comment got eaten. "ceedoCommonStart MenuPrograms" should have slashes in it.

    Try #2
    ceedo/Common/Start Menu/Programs
  • jambarama, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The group flash drive makers setup to do this is called U3. Their website (and the software designed to be portable) is here: http://software.u3.com/

    They also have a nice developer kit there too, to make your apps USB friendly.

    This is a big net gain. By encouraging developers to stop using shoddy techniques like the registry, maybe windows won't suffer from 'bitrot' so badly.
  • ANNIE2000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hi,

    I am new to the world of portable applications on USBs.So I need a little guidance.I am exploring of developing a portable application on a thumbdrive, which can be connected to a computer and can transfer data to a server database. It would be a standalone application probably developed in java.

    Now, I have been going through your write ups. They talk about thumb drive, U3, Ceedo. What would be the best option?Why cannot we use a simple thumbdrive/USB drive to run such an application? Is it too short on memory or capability? Why U3 or Ceedo?Can you tell me the pros and cons of all these options available and what would be the best for my kind of application.Should I do it on U3. Can I develop an application and put in on U3 or is it that U3 has some standard applications only? Which is better Ceedo or U3?

    Thanks

    Annie


  • northLite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I used to use Portable Firefox, it was a real pain to configure and such and some features didnt work, but I still used it because there was no other option. I then just started using a remote control service instead, I tried Portable Firefox again after the switch and it was a total mess.

    I guess this one is worth a try though if it can really deliver what it promises.
  • hadak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0dugg for the lcd screen to be attached. yum yum.
  • Farch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is just the announcement that Lexar is partner with Ceedo, a 30 day trial is already on Ceedo's site. (http://www.ceedo.com/).

    I downloaded it to play with it. The interface has a predefined list of applications that you can download and install. But you can add whatever you want by adding a shortcut to the ceedoCommonStart MenuPrograms directory.

    It also redirects writes to the desktop from the browser launched from the drive to its own desktop folder on the USB drive. Not sure about registry writes but it may redirect those also.

    I haven't tested this but I believe it also updates the shortcuts on startup to point to the drive letter the USB drive is mounted under.
  • tntmnm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Regarding the mtbf of 10,000, aren't the NAND memory parts in these flash drives protected by wear leveling? Since they hold FAT file systems, the FAT table gets lots of activity, but it is the wear leveling that prevents those blocks from wearing out first, because blocks written by the PC get shifted around inside the drive, so the same physical block is not written to every time. Besides, it is the file driver on the PC that apps typically access, which is above the block level. So I am not sure how an app on the PC can tear up the drive by writing often to the 'same block'...
  • firestorm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0tmenet said "I posted this story/link 3 hours ago!

    http://digg.com/software/Thumb_drives_launch_apps,_media_players"

    "Thumb drives launch apps, media players
    tmenet submitted by tmenet 1 day 1 hour ago (via http://www.embedded.com/showAr...)"


  • bobmagoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I dont see the need, ive been running mac and windows versions of firefox installed on a cruzer micro for awhile now and my drive hasnt self destructed or anything
  • SSSSSmokey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You actually can install any program on it. Just point the installer to install to the ceedo program files directory.

    Maybe in the future we will all be using OS X. That way we can *gasp* run our applications without useless installers!
  • dekkeh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The point about these drives is that applications do NOT need to be changed for USB-usage, unlike the U3-initiative. This is a good thing because u3-apps are few and far between. Plus U3 only works on about half the computers I tried it on.

    I often work on many different computers and I'd just as soon stop lugging my laptop around so this would be a good solution.

    And no, I won't be playing doom on it.
  • streetblader, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0actually you can install other programs onto it, first copy it to the my documents on the drive then install and it works great!
  • bushwik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Here's U3 at the DEMO conference -

    http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demo2005fall/55116.html
  • jayd31603, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0yes... that's right... I said previsouly...
  • dekkeh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just downloaded Ceedo and played with it for a bit: it's a lot like u3 but it DOES leave traces on your host computer!

    1. You can't just run any app like they say: only through their website (just like u3) and there's not really a lot there.

    2. Actually, it LOOKS way cooler than U3 because it has a nifty toolbar.

    3. Leaves traces or doesn't work autonomously. I installed firefox on the Ceedo drive on my laptop and then plugged it into my desktop. Started Firefox and lo and behold what do I see: my own bookmarks. So I bookmark another site in the Ceedo/Firefox and close it. Take out the thumbdrive. Start regular Firefox: and there is my new bookmark! Is it using the regular installed app when it's there? I don't know. Could be a big foul up, or a smart move when you think about mtbf.

    4. Ceedo is totally IE en OutlookExpress focussed: those apps can't be removed from the toolbar. The help-icon also opens a site in IE. Suxx.

    5. Ceedo: looks better, can be updated, costs 39,95. One month free trial. U3 (when it works) leaves no traces. Cost: not available separately but will surely be more expensive than regular thumbdrives. My 1gb Geek Squad was $99.
  • CritterNYC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0As with the U3 platform, with Ceedo, you can only install applications from the Ceedo directory. You can't just drop a regular Windows installer for any app into it. For a bit more details on the differences, see here:
    http://portableapps.com/node/561#comment-1636
  • jayd31603, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Market watcher Dataquest projects that more than half the estimated 167 million USB flash drives that ship in 2010 will be smart devices that can launch applications."

    By 2010 all cell phones will be miniature laptops, and thumbs drives will be considered archaic.

    http://www.dualcor.com [previsouly on Digg]

    Don't believe the hype...
  • nucleocide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0what we need is a software that executes the install program and creates some sort of virtual windows registry, stealing the needed keys upon installation, throwing the binaries on the usb drive. Afterwards, when the file is executed, virtually tying in the registry keys w/o touching the actual registry.
  • ANNIE2000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hi,

    I am new to the world of portable applications on USBs.So I need a little guidance.I am exploring of developing a portable application on a thumbdrive, which can be connected to a computer and can transfer data to a server database. It would be a standalone application probably developed in java.

    Now, I have been going through your write ups. They talk about thumb drive, U3, Ceedo. What would be the best option?Why cannot we use a simple thumbdrive/USB drive to run such an application? Is it too short on memory or capability? Why U3 or Ceedo?Can you tell me the pros and cons of all these options available and what would be the best for my kind of application.Should I do it on U3. Can I develop an application and put in on U3 or is it that U3 has some standard applications only? Which is better Ceedo or U3?

    Thanks

    Annie
  • MasteRR, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Um, this has been done for a while now with OSS. No need for special software when the software you use already works on a pendrive.

    http://portableapps.com/
  • dandiemer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0so i can run doom 3 from my 3b meg thumb drive with this?
  • spiderland, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0@firestorm:

    "posted by tmenet (0) at 12:13 PM 1/12/06"
  • gerkin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0no digg, this is so 20th century, I did this on Mac OS9 years ago and I do this with OSX every day.
  • tmenet, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I posted this story/link 3 hours ago!

    http://digg.com/software/Thumb_drives_launch_apps,_media_players
  • oyourmom, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0i can do that with any thumb drive!
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Well im digging it.

    I had no idea you could do this. :)

    http://www.georgeboone.com

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