Portable apps are decidedly swank

Robert Hallock 1 Dec, 2008 at 12:40pm ET Article published in Tech

I have a fascination with useful programs that depend neither on the registry or system folders. Those utilities that consist of only an executable? Even more delicious.

This is why I am always so excited about PortableApps, today’s download of the day. This popular, open, and completely free platform provides a launcher and an endless array of popular applications that fit with isolated cleanliness on any external storage.

From IM clients, to browsers, to management utilities, the PortableApps platform delivers countless options without a single byte of registry data.

Comments

1 Dec 2008 ~ 12:49pm CB And to think: 15 years ago, all programs were like that.
1 Dec 2008 ~ 12:54pm primesuspect 15 years ago we were using white text on a black screen, with 16 colors available (if you were lucky)
1 Dec 2008 ~ 1:13pm TiberiusLazarus I was wondering if you would ever get around to this. me some PortableApps.
1 Dec 2008 ~ 2:02pm jared Maybe my USB thumb drive just sucks - which is most likely the case - but I found when I used PortableApps that Firefox and some other apps were unbearably slow. *shrugs*
1 Dec 2008 ~ 2:56pm CB

primesuspect wrote:

15 years ago we were using white text on a black screen, with 16 colors available (if you were lucky)

I don't know about you, but in '93, I already has some games using the swank 8-bit VGA.

Besides, color depth has not bearing on this. It's Windows' fault that we have to register our programs. When Win95 came out, we should have stopped them. We should have boycotted. We should have rioted. We should never have lay down for the steamroller of program registration.

Application registration is the rope that binds us, and we let them weave the cords of our servitude from the fibers of our own apathy!

No More! I say. No More!
1 Dec 2008 ~ 3:21pm jared Yeah and unfortunately because of legacy apps I think the registry is here to stay - Win7 and beyond

One of the fine points I love about OSX - lack of registry :P