Re: Running Programs on USB Flash Drives

DougW on 11/05/2006 wrote:

>Canopus did pass the time by typing:
><clip>
>>
>>"Includes the new U3 Smart Drive from Clever-stuff. Clever-Stuff U3 Smart
>>Drives are the second generation in USB Flash Drives technology and bring
>>a new level of intelligence to the device. It is now possible to install
>>programs to USB Flash Drives and the Launchpad acts as a one-click gateway
>>to the installed applications or software portals.
>
>This leads me to believe they have some sort of "middleware" installed on
>the key that acts as a proxy for applications.
>
>>"All 1GB and 2GB busbi USB keys carry the U3 platform, which offers the
>>following attributes as well as mentioned above - user does not need admin
>>rights (as software is run from the device). ...
>
>That simply means if the software does not require installation (i.e. 
>registry
>information or dll's) then you can run it from the flash drive.
>(or the middleware on the key takes care of this)
>
>>...The user leaves no traces on
>>the host PC that they were ever there and the entire key can be password
>>protected."
>
>Erm.. that's bull.  Our monitoring software at work records and examines
>processes that are running.  Now if your application doesn't write anything
>to the hard drive then that might be true.
>
>>but, can you not run stand alone applications from any Flash Drive and not
>>leave traces to boot?  Is there anything particularly different with this
>>drive to any other or is this just marketing blurb?
>
>I would suspect market droid drool.  But then again I haven't examined this
>product.

So in other words a cheaper less gimmicky flash drive would probably be 
just as good as all one would have to do is double click the stand alone 
applications exe to launch it and you don't need Admin privileges for that 
if it doesn't write to registry.

The strange thing is that when I actually look up that flash drive on the 
Busbi web site 
http://www.busbi.net/products-detail.php?category=&manufacturer=&products_id=720 
it has no mention of any of those marketing blurbs found on Amazon.

-- 
Rob

http://www.flickr.com/photos/canopus_archives/