We should have a store on PortableApps.com where people can buy flash drives with the portableapps icon on them (like the flash drive on the preloaders for portable apps) and preloaded with all the software, and maybe a few shirts too. I bet there are people who would kill for stuff like that, and they could also help the project.
Just a thought 
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Have you thought about the shipping costs of sending a USB ship to say Europe, Oz, Africa. It's cheaper to buy a USB flash memory stick locally and download/install the applications oneself.
Then there's the almost continual problem of updates. You order you stick. Someone copies the menu and apps to it, and packages it up. And before they get to the post office someone updates the menu or an application. The update process for the bundled suites is horrendous enough as it with them being rebuilt irregularly. Shipping out of date product is going to be very frustrating.
Too bad CafePress doesn't sell USB drives.
You could also put the logo on t-shirts, mugs, all kinds of stuff.
It's cheap enough to open an online store - actually free - and you don't need to worry about inventory.
EDIT:
Having checked it out, I'm opening my own online store. All I need is to come up with some cool artwork, add it to some product, and wait for the bucks to roll in. It's on commission, so if I sell some, I get paid, if not, it doesn't cost me anything!:-P
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Even so, a lot of people would be willing to pay the shipping for a lot of things. Especially for branded merchandise. I could see people paying for Hats/Shirts/etc...
Heck, I'd even be willing to help John out on this venture. It would be really good for him and PortableApps.com.
This has been discussed on irc before, but I do not think it is being actively pursued at the moment. It's a wonderful idea, and I would buy stuff, as well. Perhaps a partnership with an existing webstore would be better than creating our own. But, in the end, it's up to John T Haller. Lets hope he answers soon about this.
OliverK> you don't live on a cow
IRC: It brings out the best in all of us...Especially when tired.
I would surely like to get a USB thumbdrive with the PortableApps logo embossed on it or something like this.
Isn't that what this site is for? You buy one that's a bit outdated, come here and update it. I'd buy one even if it's out of date. You have to update your personal set up of PortableApps.com software anyway.
I'd buy one even if I quit using portableapps at all... just to have the logo on my USB drive so people ask what is that and then I can spread the word more efficiently... ; )
If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report
yeah, perfect advertising. as if the menu isn't enough
It's a good idea, been mentioned before, but nothing's ever been done.
Sellers in each country/area would work together to maintain consistency of quality by buying the same brands, and prices would be kept about the same.
I can send a flash drive to anywhere in the lower 48 for under a buck. You can get pre-stamped envelopes at the post office for a little cheaper than a stamp. Flash drives are durable. Label the envelope, drop the flash drive in, drop it in a mailbox. Now insurance and tracking is another matter entirely.
Not really. Two reasons. First and foremost, with rare exception (e.g. Firefox), an outdated app isn't that bad. What does any app on this site that isn't called Firefox have that last month's version didn't that would make you lose sleep over? A version number? Come on now. If it really matters, you can update that app, and in any case it'd still be more current than the Suite. For example, if I were the guy loading the flash drives, I keep a repository of all the latest apps on my hard drive. When a new one comes out, I install it, and then delete the old installer. Second... most apps aren't updated all that often. Some don't get updates, but once a year, if that.
Anyway, I'd buy a shirt and a mug, if they were available, and then only if the proceeds went to PA.c.
I agree completely. I might even buy a flash drive just to have it. Heck, PortableApps.com STICKERS in different sizes would rock. I'd put some on my ext. hdd
stickers (especially a little pa logo that fits on a win-key)
and a mug of some sort
I'd buy both. I'd like a quarter-sized (2cm for those outside America) sticker for the corner of my external hard drive, nothing outrageous, just kind of a discreet reference. Or a case badge; I actually haven't got one at all on my home PC. There's no place for a sticker on my Corsair Flash Voyager, the thing's all rubber or something. It would be cool if the back of the cap had a PA logo.
If they sold flash drives, they'd have to be Corsairs (or something equally fast, or faster). The Corsair Readout displays free space and a name, up to 11 characters. Label each drive "PORTABLAPPS". And it's a particularly fast flash drive; cheap, too. Got my 4GB model for $11 or $12 shipped. I wouldn't buy an off-brand flash drive to help this site, especially if it didn't have the transfer rates needed to run portable apps adequately. That would be like Vista computers that aren't good enough to run Vista. Oh wait... <_>
CafePress
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/index.aspx?area=learn&page=learn
lets you set up a shop for free to sell your designs on t-shirts, mugs, stickers, magnets, etc. - I think only one product
Their premium shop is only 5$ a month, which would likely pay for itself.
The only down side is that they don't do USB drives. They do CDs, tho.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
I talked to John about this on IRC. He has it on his todo list, and I let him know if he needed help I'll help him.
We'll see how it goes
It will be an awesome thing if we get a store.