I don’t currently run any portable apps, i.e., on a USB key/stick/thingamabob, but I’m fascinated by the concept of carrying all of my data (and software) with me. I’ve been collecting links that discuss portable applications and how to make them work better.

Lists of portable apps

• (via Download Squad post of 1 Feb 06) PortableApps.com has bundled a portable apps suite with the following programs, which fit on a 256 MB USB key. (There’s a lite version that skips OpenOffice.org and fits on 128 MB.)

• Portable FireFox (web browser)
• Portable Thunderbird (email client)
• Portable OpenOffice.org (office suite)
• Portable AbiWord (word processor)
• Portable NVU (web editor)
• Portable Sunbird (calendar/task list)
• Portable FileZilla (FTP client)
• Portable Gaim (instant messenger)

Making portable apps work better

• (via Download Squad post of 2 Feb 06 and lifehack.org post of 3 Feb 06) PStart is a Windows app launch that can be run from your USB key. You can even keep PStart on your USB key and run it from there. In addition, it continues ot work even if your USB key is assigned a different drive letter - great for moving from computer to computer.
• There’s a thread over at the 43 Folders Google’s Groups extolling the virtues of using SlickRun, combined with various batch goodness to quickly append to text files (a la Quicksilver). This post in particular is intriguing because it describes eric’s way of running SlickRun from a USB key.
• A post over at the EverNote support forum discusses running Portable FireFox and Portable OpenOffice solely from a USB key, i.e., removing the PC versions.
• Portable Freeware lists several apps, and gives instructions on making apps portable.