Wednesday, October 17, 2007

“Don't forget to pack your courage for your journey to greatness.” David Weinbaum

Many people use the computer lab in the library because they do not own their own machine. I sometimes think this is a better idea. I mean sure you trade in convenience of having a computer in your home but it also means you do not have to buy a new one when it is outdated. Also the maintenance of a PC can be a real pain in the neck. Now it should occur to you, where do I keep my data? There are a few answers to this but lets take the easiest. A standard USB thumb drive. They are cheap, between $5.00 and $70.00, and easy to use. Alright I have a storage space for all my stuff but some programs need to be installed on the machine and many public computers are locked down so that we cannot mess them up. Also what about personal preferences and settings? I want to use a computer but I want it to work the way I want it to work. This is a bit like renting a car. I want my seat in the position I want it in. Thankfully many programs can be installed on thumb drives. The site Portable Freeware has a pretty long listing of all sorts of software for many uses. I really like Universal Extractor, it allows you to unpack any item downloaded. Open Office Portable is amazing if you need Office applications anywhere. If you are a rover or just need a computer in your pocket give these a try.

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