Thursday, November 23, 2006
Going portable, but not in the way that you think
Sometimes, carrying your notebook computer or even a device like an AlphaSmart Dana or Neo can be a bit of a pain. Even a notebook and pen can take up more space than you want. So, what do you do if you need to write? Well, if you know that you'll be around a computer running Windows and have a USB key or thumb drive then you might want to take a peek at PortableApps.
PortableApps is a suite of free software that runs off a small USB drive -- yep, the kind that fits into a shirt pocket with room to spare. For writers, PortableApps is a small boon. Both the Standard (about half a gigabyte when installed) and Lite (less than 256 MB when installed) versions of PortableApps contain word processors. Standard comes with OpenOffice.org, and Lite comes with a small word processor called AbiWord.
To use it, all you have to do is plug the USB drive into a computer, and then using the menu that pops up select the application that you want to use. You save your documents right on the drive, and remove it from the computer when you're done. If you're worried about catching a nasty virus from the computer you're plugged into, don't be. Both versions of PortableApps come with anti-virus software. On top of that, you can add other software (like an HTML editor). There's a list here.
If you just need to write and perhaps connect to the Internet to check your email or get information from a Web site, then I recommend using the Lite version of PortableApps. AbiWord is great for writing, and runs faster than OpenOffice.org Writer.
PortableApps is a suite of free software that runs off a small USB drive -- yep, the kind that fits into a shirt pocket with room to spare. For writers, PortableApps is a small boon. Both the Standard (about half a gigabyte when installed) and Lite (less than 256 MB when installed) versions of PortableApps contain word processors. Standard comes with OpenOffice.org, and Lite comes with a small word processor called AbiWord.
To use it, all you have to do is plug the USB drive into a computer, and then using the menu that pops up select the application that you want to use. You save your documents right on the drive, and remove it from the computer when you're done. If you're worried about catching a nasty virus from the computer you're plugged into, don't be. Both versions of PortableApps come with anti-virus software. On top of that, you can add other software (like an HTML editor). There's a list here.
If you just need to write and perhaps connect to the Internet to check your email or get information from a Web site, then I recommend using the Lite version of PortableApps. AbiWord is great for writing, and runs faster than OpenOffice.org Writer.
