Comments on: Mobile Mac Apps

Question: Mobile Mac Apps

lemonfridge — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 19:18:46 -0800

What apps are available for the Mac that can be run from a USB memory stick (aka portable applications)?

I have a suite of software and tools that I carry on a memory stick such as FTP apps, media players and converters and such.

Im after a similar set of applications that can be run from a USB stick from anyone mac, and not store any information/data on the Mac itself.

At very least an FTP app, and something for opening stuffit archives would be useful.

By: xil

xil — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 19:28:28 -0800

Just about any Mac app can do this -- just copy the application on the drive and you're good to go. Unlike Windows, most apps don't need to be specially installed on the computer.

There are lots of FTP applications, so I won't try (others can perhaps suggest their favorites). You'd use StuffIt Expander for StuffIt archives.

By: filmgeek

filmgeek — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 19:36:18 -0800

Hmm...I'm not sure about storing no data on the Mac.

The mac will store everything in HD/~(user)/library/preferences

And that'll be the stuff you want to take with you!

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:11:28 -0800

and stuffit needs an engine in some versions.

i'd copy packages over to the stick so you can install on the spot--too many osX apps need to write to preferences and libraries and stuff.

By: AmbroseChapel

AmbroseChapel — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:15:40 -0800

The mac will store everything in HD/~(user)/library/preferences

What do you mean "everything"? It will store preferences there, as the name suggests. What else?

By: craniac

craniac — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 21:11:45 -0800

interesting mac forums thread on this question.

By: filmgeek

filmgeek — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 22:05:55 -0800

Well, if the poster's goal, Ambrose, is to carry say, firefox, his bookmarks will not travel.

plus, right in the post:
"and not store any information/data on the Mac itself."

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 23:49:06 -0800

don't they have sticks that hold a lot now? maybe you could make a boot disk, with apps?

By: machaus

machaus — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:55:17 -0800

you'll be lucky to get a bootable tiger image that is smaller than a gig these days.

By: lhl

lhl — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 03:33:05 -0800

One program:
Cross-Platform Portable Firefox

And a couple things you might want to try:

Engadget: HOW-TO use an iPod as a bootable drive

Store a user's Home folder on a USB drive

Neither are probably ideal for what you want to do, but they're interesting nonetheless.

By: lemonfridge

lemonfridge — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 03:35:46 -0800

I actually thought that same thing at first, that all the apps I want could be run from the stick, but I realised that the preferences etc will be stored on the Mac.

Its a 1Gb stick, but has about 300Mb taken up already (Windows apps and a secure file vault).

By: lemonfridge

lemonfridge — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 03:41:55 -0800

Thanks for the cross platform FireFox! I had the original portable FireFox, but it was slow and Win only. With this and the Bookmarks sync Extension life should be sweet.

Any more thoughts on FTP and stuffit software?

By: amberglow

amberglow — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 13:25:08 -0800

check this out: TechTool Protege, a new Mac
OS X troubleshooting and diagnostic tool stored on a bootable 1GB Firewire-based flash drive. TechTool Protege is shipping now but will make its public debut at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco. It costs $229.