Portable Applications
It's funny how things work out - only this morning I was thinking about writing about Portable Applications and what do you know - mrBen puts a link to PortableApps.com in his "recent links" section (which is much better than mine, as mine doesn't always have anything in it - and hopefully the link is now working).
So, what are portable applications and why are they useful? Well, what a good question...
Portable applications are programs which don't require you to install them on to your computer. This is handy if, for example, you don't have the rights to install a program on Windows but are able to execute files (though being able to execute files not installed by an administrator does pose a security risk, but I'm ignoring that). Alternatively, if you go away often, or work at multiple computers, you might want to take your data with you rather than have to set it up multiple times.
Personally, I use three applications on a regular basis - Firefox Portable, GAIM Portable and Filezilla Portable. If I go on a merry jaunt, e.g. to Scotland, Wales, London, Hertfordshire, or even down to the University, I don't have access to my desktop. Trouble is, most people don't use the same applications I do - I'm lucky if someone uses Firefox, let alone either of the other two (GAIM, so you know, is for instant messaging and is far more flexible than MSN Messenger; Filezilla is an FTP client for managing files on websites). Anyway, when I go down to the University library, I don't want to use Internet Explorer or Windows Messenger (yes, not even MSN Messenger is there). As for FTP options - Windows' connect to network" feature can be temperamental at times, so I try to use other things. So, I just take my trusty USB drive and run the programs.
The advantages: GAIM - I can take the same message logs and conversations with different people are appended to the same log rather than on a different file on different people's computers.*
Filezilla - FTP settings remembered so I don't have to fill them in on each individual computer or shared network of computers; I also don't have to remember to delete the network connection once I've finished using it, which I would normally have to do using the Windows "connect to network" feature.
Firefox - I don't have to remember my passwords everywhere I go because they are stored locally. I am automatically kept logged in to websites and I can run Firefox extensions.
ALL - I don't have to clutter people's computers with unwanted programs (even if they should use Firefox - I'd never buy anything online using Internet Explorer).
The best bit is that I can just run all the programs as if they were on my local PC. The only drawback is that I can't synchronise the data with my local installs (ok, technically speaking I could, but I can't do it automatically and to do it manually would be aggravating).
In short, portable applications are very practical - and not just for the technically minded (who are, unfortunately, probably the only people reading this sentence. Alas, perhaps instead of giving away the fact that this post was about anything to do with computers, I should have labelled it "free sex!!!" and placed my points in between other, "more interesting" things. No, I don't really think that's a good idea either...**
*Please note, GAIM is now called Pidgin.
**To be honest, if I was trying to get to the top of the Google rankings, the phrase "Free Sex" would probably give me, to forgive the rather obvious pun, some "stiff" competition.
There are currently no comments on this article.