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Best Windows Freeware

September 30, 2005.

Portable Freeware Blows Up With U3

New Standard Revolutionizes Portable Software

U3I introduced the Best Portable Freeware List a few weeks ago, and the response has been tremendous. Portable Freeware, if you remember, is software that requires no installation and runs on USB drives: memory sticks, key drives, portable hard drives, even iPods.

Based on the email I've received, I can tell that the demand for a secure, "traveling office" is huge. Thanks to developers such as John Haller, who has developed portable versions of OpenOffice, Firefox and Thunderbird, you can now take your work and play with you from machine to machine on your USB key drive, without leaving traces on your host machine.

It just got even easier.

Many people have put a lot of effort into making software portable, more than should be necessary. Sites such as portablefreeware.com list a number of methods for making specific applications run on a flash drive. On the net you can find hacks and directions to get Opera or the Gimp to be portable. It just shouldn't be this hard. Portable drives are here in a big way and are getting more and more popular. People want to take more than their information with them. They want to take their tools.

U3 LaunchPad U3 is an emerging standard for making portable applications that run on flash drives. It requires a compatible device and for the application to be made with a few, simple standards. The beauty is that developers can make their existing applications U3 compatible with almost no extra work.

All major flash drive manufacturers are partnering with U3 to make lines of drives that are compatible. They are even bundling applications with the drives. A number of these drives will be available in October. I anticipate that not just some, but most flash drives sold in the future will be U3 compatible.

From a U3 press release:

"The U3 platform includes a hardware specification, software developer kit with application programming interfaces (APIs) and the U3 LaunchPad. The hardware specification gives hardware manufacturers the core technology needed to build USB smart drives. The software development kit enables software developers to deploy their applications onto U3 powered smart drives with minimal effort.[emphasis mine] The U3 LaunchPad, which comes installed on all U3 powered smart drives, is the entry point to the "personal workspace."

Here's the way it works: You plug in the U3 smart drive, and it is assigned two drive letters. One appears as a CD-ROM, which auto-launches the U3 LaunchPad which resides in the system tray. You click on the U3 icon, and a start menu appears, listing all the portable applications available. It doesn't get easier than this, folks.

A few applications that are already available are Skype, Trillian and WinAmp. The U3 site has several applications available for download , but be aware, they are not all freeware. As the new drives become available, expect to see more and more freeware applications pre-loaded. I also anticipate there will be bundled commercial applications and trialware.

Adding new programs is simple, simpler than installing most Windows applications. From the LaunchPad menu, you click Add Programs, select the application you want to add, and you're done. Nice.

The beauty is that almost any Windows program will be able to be made U3 compatible. Since freeware developers want their software to be distributed as widely as possible either from generosity, ego or publicity, expect an explosion of quality, portable freeware to be available soon.

October is the big, kick-off month. Several major manufacturers will be introducing devices: disgo , disk2go , Intuix , SanDisk , Kingston , Memorex and Verbatim . Drives will be available in 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB versions.

7 U3 Flashdrives available this October
disgo

disgo classic

1GB 2GB 4GB

disk2go

disk2go® SMART

256MB 512MB
1GB 2GB

Intuix

Intuix S300, S500 and M300

512MB 1GB 2GB

Kingston

Kingston Technology
DataTraveler I

512MB 1GB
Memorex

Memorex
Mini TravelDrive™

256MB 512MB
1GB 2GB

SanDisk

SanDisk
Cruzer™ Micro

512MB 1GB

Verbatim

Verbatim
Store ‘n' Go™

1GB

I predict that this standard will be so popular that it will impact laptop sales. Business travelers will be able to work on the road on borrowed computers.

Freeware developers, get prepared.

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