If you have been a computer user for a while, then you may have heard of FloppyOffice, which was - as you probably already guessed, a portable office software suite on a floppy drive!
Now in 2008, you probably can only find floppies in the dark recesses of closets, boxes and landfills - but FloppyOffice has been reincarnated as Tiny USB Office, which offers a wide variety of free, standalone portable software.
Tiny USB Office can be installed on any flash drive, even the 128MB ones, because it only takes up only 2.5MB of space on a drive, so you will still have plenty of space for your documents.
Tiny USB Office offers the following programs, plus some:
Visit the Tiny USB Office website, download and unzip the program onto your flash (USB) drive.
Don’t forget, each application has its own folder and “read me” files, so you can learn how to use the programs you want or need to use - delete the ones you do not want.
While Tiny USB Office has a wide range of programs available in a small footprint for free, PortableApps.com offers a solid set of software in a maximum 350MB footprint.
PortableApps has a larger footprint, so you must have a bigger flash (USB) drive, which for most of us is not a problem - you can get 4GB drives on some bargain websites for less than $20!
Stop by the PortableApps.com website and download the apps you’d like and follow the on-screen directions.
PortableApps.com’s package is more popular because programs available are pretty popular within geeky and non-geeky circles, so there are large support bases for each program, as well as a built-in web browser (Firefox Portable), which Tiny USB Office does not have.
When it comes to size comparisons, there is no competition. Tiny USB Office is MUCH smaller than PortableApps’ Suite, even with the additional software that is included in the Tiny USB Office!
Let me let you in on a trick: download and install both PortableApps and Tiny USB Office; then add (by copy/paste or cut/paste) the Tiny USB Office programs you need or want to your Portable Apps’ “Programs” folder! Now, you will have one-click access to all of the portable office programs you need from your menu!
Hands down, PortableApps wins this battle because of the name recognition and strong community support its programs have, but Tiny USB Office does have something to offer because of its longevity in the portable applications arena and the wide variety of software offered. Put these two together and you have a winning team!
So what do you think? Are portable office applications necessary? Are you a PortableApps.com fan, or a Tiny USB Office fanboy (fangirl)? Do you have another suggestion?
Let’s hear it in the comments!
(By) Ellie, who loves portable office software because she’s always on the go between working, graduate school and extracurricular activities! Read more about her interests at ultimate geek girl!
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Filed Under: Cool Software Apps
Tags: office worker, portable, portable app, portable drives, software pack, USB
I think that set of portable apps I chose for myself fits my needs better than suite someone else made.
Suites may be nice place to start but they are totally not required to stay portable.
Where do you get your Portable Apps from?
I Portable Apps personally. It has “brand name” programs and they all integrate nicely together, and they are supported and actively developed. However I do have Tiny Office on my USB drive.
I have been a Portableapps fan for years. It just makes sense. They have all the programs I would want anyways, and it’s almost completely replaced my classic “Utils” folder I used to tote from PC to PC, and more recently, via USB drive.
With portable storage so cheap and expansive these days, I see Portableapps’ only downfall, the larger disk footprint, a non-issue.
I like both of them, though I must admit I use Portable Apps more. The larger foot print is not really an issue for me. I wrote a similar article a while ago, while it didn’t mention Tiny Office there were a couple of other alternatives.
4 Ways to Carry your PC on iPod or USB Thumbdrive
So this will (of course) be Windows software then? I only ask as the article doesn’t appear to say so explicitly anywhere …
(I’ve got Billix on my USB flash drive ;-))
I use netiher of them,
If you have time, you should chek framakey software (http://www.framakey.org/).
It also cames with a launcher (framalaucher) which, when combined with FL tune, is fully customisable.
regards