Portable Apps has really been a blessing for many of us who have to work on computers other than our own. However, I would like to see PA go a step further in the creation of an entire portable OS.
I am aware that it is very close to that now, and I'm sure that there are those that will argue with me and say that it is it's own OS, but what I'm referring to is an OS, so complete that it is similar to XP Mode in Windows 7.
Visit the Community page
Join our forums
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Subscribe with RSS
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Mastodon
Follow us on BlueSky
You can boot Linux [and if you really want to have fun: MacOS and Windows*] from a USB drive, and alot of the programs here on PA were initially dev'd on Linux, so there's that option.
*I've heard that you can boot MacOS and WinXP+ on a USB drive, but it is really complicated and involved. At the very least, it's more than I would want to deal with....
--------------
If you can't laugh at your own mistakes, you don't deserve to laugh at mine.
An operating system is a very complex animal. PortableApps is a very simple system that redirects some of the functions of existing applications so that they do not leave files behind on the host computer, and only leave minimal registry entries.
PortableApps does not have its own hardware management, kernal, file system, UI, etc, and it relies entirely on Windows or Linux+WINE to work at all.
I'm not saying that a new portable OS based on PortableApps.com is impossible, but it's very impractical.
Portable OS's do exist - they are called Live Distros of Linux, and are available on both CD and USB, but they're not made here. It's actually easy to create a LiveUSB that contains all your PortableApps, which will run from WINE. The main issue is that for these to work, you need to boot from the USB drive, which is often restricted on public computers.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.