Today I'm going to talk about a software solution that is bundled with the purchase of a "thumb" or "flash" drive.

The U3 software from U3 LLC resides on a U3 compatible memory device.  For the purposes of this conversation I will refer to them as thumb drives, though they are commonly referred to by many different names.

The U3 software is set up in such a way that it automatically loads when you connect the thumb drive to a Windows XP machine, as well as a Windows Vista machine, though it does require a mouse click to authorize the security system to allow the software to load.

When you insert the U3 thumb drive the system "see" two volumes and assigns them drive letters.  One volume contains the U3 software itself, and is recognized by the operating system as a CDROM drive.  It is from this volume that the U3 software is launched using autorun.

The second volume is the data storage, and it is recognized by the OS just like any other removable media.  The operating system uses it just as it would a hard drive, so this is where you can manually store your files, photos, music or any other file type you choose.

The beauty of the U3 enabled thumb drives, in my mind, is that for the same cost as a non-U3 capable device, you get some great additional functionality.

The image to the right is a screen shot of my U3 launchpad.  The U3 software itself is really just a software loading utility.  it has very little functionality itself, outside of a very nice security utility that will allow you to password protect and encrypt the data on the thumb drive.  The ability of the U3 system to house software is where it starts getting good.

You can see in the image a few of the software packages I have loaded on my thumb drive.  These programs operate entirely from the thumb drive, and require no setup or installation on the host PC.  This means that you can sit down at virtually any computer and use your own applications, with your own personalized setting without disturbing the computer itself.  There's nothing worse than letting someone use your computer and having them install a bunch of oddball software, leaving behind a mess for you to clean up.  The U3 system eliminates that hassle.

Software must be ported to the U3 system to operate properly, but there are a large number of software titles available (many of them free), and more are added every month.

I have a few "must have" software titles that I feel are useful enough to have with me everywhere I go.  The thumb drive in question lives on my key chain, so it virtually is everywhere I am.  I could probably devote entire blog posts to each individual program, not only because there is a lot to them, but also because I'm incredibly verbose in my posts.  I bet you already knew that....

I believe there is a minimum of three applications that everyone should carry with them at all times.  Since most of us are able to access our email and email attachments via web based mail apps like Outlook Web Access and GMail, there's not usually a need for an email application. I have two applications that are an absolute must-have, and one that is a convenience for me, but may be a must-have for you, depending on your work flow.

1.  OpenOffice.org
This software package is a great mobile tool to have.  Although I definitely do not recommend it as a replacement for Microsoft Office, it is capable of working with MS Office documents.  Because it is portable I never have to worry about what software is installed on whatever computer I may end up using.  If  I have to open or create a spreadsheet, word processing document, or any other Office file, I'm able to.  I have run into problems with OpenOffice.org running from the U3 systems on Windows Vista.  I have not had a chance to troubleshoot the problem, but I'm sure I will be able to fix it easily.  It always ran flawlessly for me on Windows XP machines.

2. RoboForm2Go
RoboForm2Go is a porting of the RoboForm desktop software.  This application is so cool I should dedicate an entire post to it!  Is is a very small application that attaches a toolbar to Internet Explorer or FireFox browsers and maintains a list of usernames and passwords for all your password protected Web pages and applications.  It also performs form filling and several other tasks, but I'll leave you to have a look at their web page for further details.  Suffice it so say that I never have to worry about having login information with me when I travel and have to wait until I get back to the office to get something done.  It is password protected and secure, so I don't worry about losing my thumb drive.

RoboForm2Go and RoboForm desktop editions can synchronize with each other, so if you have both installed as I do, the passwords are always up to date on the thumb drive.

This application rates as one of the most useful, "gotta have" pieces of software I've ever used.

3.  Mozilla Firefox
Having your own browser with you everywhere you go can really be great.  All of your add-on programs, bookmarks and settings travel with you.  FireFox is a great browser in it's own right.  Having it ported for the U3 system is quite a bonus, and with RoboForm2Go installed, is one of the greatest tools you could carry with you.

Of course there an many, many other programs an utilities out there for the U2 system.  Finding and installing them is a snap from the U3 control panel.  As I mentioned many of them are free, and the pricing for the paid software is very reasonable.

The U3 system comes pre-installed on selected thumb drive models from manufacturers such as SanDisk, Memorex, PNY and others.  Just look for the U3 logo on the packaging or device itself.

My current thumb drive (I have gone through several, and usually carry at least two at all times) is a Sandisk Cruzer Contour (see photo to right).  It's one of my favorites.  It's only drawback is that it does not have an attached key ring loop.  It does come with a very nice "leather like" case that attaches to a key ring or lanyard to make up for that.  The Contour comes in 4Gb and 8Gb models.  The 4Gb model retails for $99.99, but we can discount that quite a bit if you are interested in purchasing one from LKTech.

Thumb drives are becoming so common that I usually assume most folks carry them.  I know I don't go anywhere without one.  It is one of the coolest things technology has brought us in the last ten years, and with the addition of the U3 system, it's going to go down as one of my all time favorite technology tools.

Below are some links on the subject you might find interesting.  As usual, if you have any questions or there is anything I can help with, don't hesitate to contact me!

Samuel

U3 LLC
SanDisk Flash Drives
"U3's USB Drives Carry Programs Along with Data", eWeek.com
'Cruzin' with Your Data", Small Business Computing.com