What is a portable app?

About The PortableApps Suite

• Includes a wide variety of quality, FREE applications/software. All of the included applications are easy to use and completely free of charge. They are not limited or trial versions. You could quite easily run a SOHO (small office, home office) business using the free software provided in the PortableApps Suite. Most of the applications in the PortableApps Suite will operate on Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, 2003 or Vista.

  Some examples of included software are OpenOffice (office suite), AbiWord (word processing), Sunbird (calendar/task manager), Mozilla Firefox (Internet browser), Thunderbird (e-mail client), ClamWin (free antivirus) and Pidgin (instant messaging) to name a few. You may not be familiar with some of these applications. However, they are comparable in many ways to similar computer applications you must normally purchase. For example, OpenOffice would be an excellent choice for any home or small business user that needs to create documents, spread sheets, databases or multimedia presentations. OpenOffice is comparable in many ways to expensive office suites like Microsoft Office. The collection of available FREE software (and games) is constantly growing.

  Many of the applications included with the PortableApps Suite are developed and distributed as what is referred to as "open-source" software. Open-source software is developed under a license that allows anyone to change and contribute to it's development. Work on open-source software is often done collaboratively by a group or community of volunteers and not for profit. Microsoft and other for profit companies do not allow the modification of their products except by people who work for the company.

• Can be used from any Windows computer that has Windows 95 and above installed.
• Does not have to be installed on the computer you use it from. Can sometimes be run from a computer that you are not allowed to install software on. All portable applications run from the USB drive instead of the PC and it's hard drive.
• Will work from a USB flash/thumb drive, iPod or similar player or portable USB hard drive.
• Can be downloaded and installed quickly and easily.
• Is FREE of charge. Though if you use it consider making a small donation to the creators to keep it free to the public and encourage future development. A "Donations" link is provided at the PortableApps.com Web site.
• Click here to view an image of the PortableApps Suite main menu.

1. Install the PortableApps Suite on your portable drive.
2. To start the PortableApps Suite in Windows XP (SP2) or Vista you insert/plug in your portable USB flash/thumb or other drive. A dialog box opens and asks "What do you want to do?" Click the "OK" button and the PortableApps main menu automatically opens. A "quick link" to the PortableApps Suite main menu will now appear in the "system tray" at the bottom right of your screen. NOTE: In Microsoft's Windows 2000 or older you start the PortableApps Suite main menu by double clicking on the StartPortableApps.exe file or icon located in your portable drive.