1. Portable apps should make software for Linux Mint (http://www.linuxmint.com/) and ububtu.
2. Yahoo messenger, Google earth and Google chrome should have portable version.
3. Linux Mint have portable version form this site like following site http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-linux-mint-7-flash-drive-creation-windows
Nearly all apps here along with the platform, backup utility and all our development tools will all work properly within Wine. We normally test on Ubuntu, but it should all work fine on Linux Mint as well.
We're working on legitimate (read: legal) versions of Google Earth and Google Chrome.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Maybe a bit offtopic...
Better realize that Google Earth's cache is gigantic. For this app I almost would suggest using the local drive as temporary drive and not to keep the cache on the portable drive after closing. Else a 8GB drive would fill up very fast and the read/write amount would be just to much to risk exposing a portable drive with
I hope Google will agree that Google Earth would be a great thing to have like we all do. (I'm creating buildings for Google Earth atm)
Many many thanks 2 John T. Haller 4 his reply. I love your Project and Ideas. God bless yew.