PortableApps.com is proud to announce the PortableApps.com Platform Version 10.1.2 (codename: Leo) stable release. This release includes updated translations, improved large drive support, improved stability and several bug fixes. Find-as-you-type is now triggered by typing a / or hitting F3 for more reliable use as well. Like the 10.0 release, it also has automated and customizable folders (aka categories) in the menu, our brand-new theming engine with multiple chrome styles, the Portable App Directory app store for automatic download and installation of portable apps, find-as-you-type search to easily find apps in your ever-growing collection, an improved updater, more-complete translations into more languages and lots more. It's available for immediate download as well as for purchase bundled on the World's Best Flash Drive: The PortableApps.com Companion. You can even get free music with your platform download. Read on for all the details...(permalink)
Existing users can automatically update by clicking Manage Apps - Check for Updates
New in 10.1
This release has improved large drive support (over 2TB), stability and compatibility improvements, an improved installer and updater, and many additional features. Find-As-You-Type has been adjusted to start with a / for better compatibility. ALT shortcuts for Documents, Options and more are now available. Updated translations for Dutch, German, Polish, Hungarian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Slovenian, Greek, Romanian, Catalan, and Finnish are included. Read the full list of bugs fixed and features added.
Portable Apps - All Your Favorite Apps, Everywhere
PortableApps.com lets you carry all your favorite apps on a portable device or cloud drive and use them on any PC. Now you can have your own browser with all your bookmarks and extensions, your full office suite, your photo editor, your whole music collecion, your favorite games, your development tools and more. You can have everything you need for work and play with you on every PC you use. At work, at home, at school, visiting family and friends, even while traveling. And all your bookmarks, emails, personal files and settings stay right on your drive, too. Now, every PC becomes your PC.
Portable App Directory™ - Built-In App Store
The PortableApps.com Platform has an app store built right in, so you can find and install the apps you want with just a few clicks. You can find your favorite web browser, popular games, handy utilities, educational tools, image editors, chat programs and more. There are hundreds of free apps available with new apps added every week. With no download limit, you can download one app or one hundred. Best of all, you don't even need to give up your email address to get them.
Organize With Folders, Favorites, Type-To-Find Search and More
You can organize your growing app collection using the customizable menu so you can find the apps you need with ease. You can organize apps into folders automatically or create your own that work the way you think. Pick apps as favorites and they'll always be right at the top for instant access. You can even have the menu learn which apps you use most and keep them front and center. And when you need to find an app quickly, just hit / or F3 and then start typing, and you'll find what you're looking for. When you've found your app, just hit enter and the first app will start right up.
PortableApps.com Updater - Your Apps Are Up To Date
With PortableApps.com, you don't need to worry about making sure your software is up to date. When a new security fix for your browser is released or a new feature in your favorite game is available, the PortableApps.com Updater will automatically let you know. Just click a button and the updates are downloaded and installed without messing up your settings and saved files. And if you're in a hurry or using a computer on a slow connection, you can wait until later to update with just a click.
Themes, Colors and Your Personal Menu
Whether you want your menu to look modern or retro, light or dark, glassy or simple, the PortableApps.com Platform has an option for you. With a dozen bundled themes each with a rainbow of color selections, you could pick a different look every day for months and never have the same menu twice. And you can make the menu your own by adding your own personal picture to the upper right-hand corner.
Portable Fonts
The PortableApps.com Platform supports the ability to carry fonts on your portable device and use them with your portable software without needing to install them on the local machine. Now when you're working on that important presentation for work or that poster for your charity drive, you can be as creative as you like with the look and still have it look and print the same on every computer you use. TrueType (TTF), OpenType (OTF), TrueType Collections (TTC) and other font formats are all supported.
Advanced Features
Whether you want to only see open source software, hide the word "Portable" in your app names, hide splash screens, automatically start apps when you start the menu, tweak the look and functionality of the menu or start checking out beta versions of our software, the PortableApps.com Platform has the power - and the options - to work the way you want it to. And if there's something we haven't added yet that you'd like to see, just ask in the forums. We add new features every month!
World's Best Flash Drive: The PortableApps.com Companion
If you'd like a speedy new flash drive to use with the new platform, we have the World's Best Flash Drive: The PortableApps.com Companion available. This durable USB 3.0 drive comes laser-etched with your name, URL or other text and is a great way to carry your software with you. It's backed by a lifetime warranty, comes in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB sizes, and starts at under $40. Best of all, sales help support the PortableApps.com project and our mission to change the world of software!
Free Music - Critically-Acclaimed Single From Two Seconds To Midnight
As a special bonus to PortableApps.com users, we've included a free copy of the critically-acclaimed single opt1m1sm from Two Seconds To Midnight's debut album. This song has been featured in HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Just select the "+ Free Music" download from the platform download page and it will be placed in your Documents\Music folder. Existing users who have already upgraded, can download the Free Music package and install it right over their existing PortableApps.com Platform installation.
Sponsor the PortableApps.com Platform! Be Part Of The Action!
Now you can sponsor the PortableApps.com Platform and help us keep delivering awesome software for free. With options ranging from having your name included to a full-blown site-wide sponsorship, there's a good fit for everyone. Sponsor us today and be a part of the action!
We also accept donations of any size to help with development and hosting:
- Please help support PortableApps.com's development and hosting
Discussing The Release, Enhancements and Bug Reports
As there is much to discuss with this new release, we've separated out a few forum threads for discussing:
- Platform bug reports
- Default app organization settings and "smart" list sorting
- Language updates and changes
- Portable Apps that have outdated installers and need an update to better work with the new app store
Download Today
You can download the new version of the PortableApps.com Platform from the download page. Get it today!
Please note that any bug reports go in the PortableApps.com Platform Bug Reports Topic.
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Comments
Quick 10.1.1 Update
A quick update to fix a stray messagebox left behind has been posted.
Find-As-You-Type doesn't work anymore
Hi, i just installed the latest update. The find-as-you-type-search isn't working anymore. Even when i type a / first nothing happens.
I'm on a Windows 7 Ultimate x64.
EDIT: Oh i just got it working. I have to use the #-key. I'm on a german machine. Seems to me you wired the function to the specific keyboard-key, not the character. You probably should take in consideration that there are different keyboard-layouts
Same Same
I've got the same problem and I use a Danish keyboard layout so that might very well be the reason. I'd also like to add that it didn't work optimally before the update either, most of the time I had to type the first letter of the app I was looking for twice 'cause the first character in the search field didn't show up right and then I had to use the backspace key to clear the search field for "weird" characters and THEN start typing the name of the app again from the beginning.
Update: Hmm, not sure if the keyboard layout is the only problem, just did a quick change to US keyboard layout and it's still buggy.
Update 2: After reading tal's comment below I realize that it might always have been like this: First you have to press 'S' for Search and then the corresponding first letter of the various context menu items before you can actually search. So e.g. 'S' followed by 'A' for searching apps etc... it just ain't very intuitive is it? At least underscore the "shortcut" letters in the main menu (e.g. 'S' in Search) to make it more obvious how it works.
Thanks john
for the update and the fix
it really annoying when you change find as you type!
me and many people prefer find as you type immediately
and not press S then select search then start type.
This is Wrong!!!
if you want i use your short cut for Document, Music and act.
please add an special key word for instant ctrl +m or crtl + alt + m.
why ruining something good??!?!?!
please change that.
it angry me, and many people.
Edit:
find that you need to type '/' first.
it still annoying.
plus all the configuration you made not remember in the new update.
Tal.
speak for yourself
There is NOTHING I hate more than mandatory "find as you type" (particularly for online searches). I disable it whenever possible, or switch to other applications or sites when not.
The slash key (/) is a standard (vim, browsers), and represents the preferred way to do a search within text.
Except for the fact that...
... the '/' key has always been yet another dumb US-centric approach since many keyboard layouts doesn't have it the same place as the US keyboard layout. E.g. in the Danish keyboard layout you have to press Shift+7 to type the '/' so many one-press arrangements gets f*cked up straight away when you press the Shift key
By Design
The old find-as-you-type was hopelessly broken. So we switched it to start with a /. Firefox had the EXACT same issue when it used to always have find-as-you-type enabled and used the same approach.
There is, however, an issue as it is tied to keyboard layout so folks with non-English keyboard layouts can't activate it without using the hotkeys to activate it from the search menu (S and then A for English locales). The fix for that has already been built and we're just waiting for it to hit the download mirrors before pushing it out.
fix works
Thanks John!
I noticed for the first time that the shortcuts for the documents etc folders dont need an Alt pressed before hitting the shortcut. First I thought is was a bug but it seems to have been that way since 10.1 fixed the broken shortcuts from 10.0. Is it a bug or intended?
Too bad, I liked the one
Too bad, I liked the one keystroke '#' straightaway.
So I think, instant find-as-you-type is off the list once and forever. It's a pity, but better a failsafe solution than a potentially buggy one.
Btw. I realize the shortcuts are interpreted from the locale file. As we just took over the old ones and added new ones rather arbitrary, some maybe interfere with others. In the german locale, pressing 'b' opens Pictures (because of &Bilder I suppose). Daten&träger is not opened by 't', but by 'e' (&Explore). Its some kind of blind flying at the moment, is it possible to underline the shortcuts someday in the future? Mayby optionally?
Press ALT, Coming Back
We may re-introduce direct find as you type in the future via an always visible search box that gets focus by default. The goal with this release was just to get it working right. It does in 10.1.2 but SF mirroring is stalled at the moment.
If you hold down ALT all the underlines appear.
Thanks. I tried that before,
Thanks. I tried that before, but I didn't see the underlines. It works now, though. Magic.
(or me beeing inattentive)
I'll work through the (german) locale file to look into shortcuts definitions - maybe this evening.
Rainbow theme...?
You guys are not going to re-include it?
Afraid not. The rainbow theme
Afraid not. The rainbow theme in the 2.0 Betas was just a demo of theming with background images. I believe the Rainbow theme will be pushed as a custom theme users can install after custom themes are implemented in the Platform.
No rainbow theme...
What has the world become if there are no rainbow themes by default...
Just several shades of white, gray and black...
Thanks for the many great improvements though.
They nearly make up for the lack of a rainbow theme...
Cheers
Still no custom theming?
Is it still on the table for a future release?
EDIT: Nevermind, it's still on the PortableApps.com Platform Bug Report and Feature Tracker list of upcoming features.
Custom theming is possible !!!
Custom theming is possible! Not as you are used to do it but possible.
Just modify files in your own copy of folder PortableApps\PortableApps.com\App\Graphics and it works without any problems. I run my own theme with 10.1.1.
I believe a better way to do
I believe a better way to do this would be to replace files in Data\theme (create if necessary), as it doesn't require modifying a preset theme color's files.
Yes, that works
It throws up an error message when opening Options, but just clicking OK lets you continue to Options.
But I think this is not the proper thread to discuss a temporary solution to custom themes. I know how to duct-tape, and I can wait until real custom theming finally added properly to the menu.
Complete theme structure
There seems to be a misunderstanding.
I copy the whole graphics folder and modify only the files inside this copied folder. After that I replace the current graphics folder by the modified one.
The advantages from my perspective are:
- You can modify what ever you want incl. background, buttons, folder icons etc.! This is not so easily possible by the method you proposed.
- You already have the complete theme structure in the way John uses it.
If the custom theming is once finalized you are prepared.
- No exceptions
Just have a try.
This should be in another thread
I do understand exactly what you are doing, and I know how to do all of that several different ways.
However, this thread is really supposed to be the release of 10.1, and I really didn't want to go so far off-topic when I made my post.
If you want to discuss the finer points of adding custom themes to the platform before John officially adds it, let's take the discussion here:
https://portableapps.com/node/30706
or you could start a new one if you'd like.
10.1.1 won't install
On W764 get the following error message when attempting to install:
Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You many not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.
Please help.
RE: 10.1.1 won't install
Did you start your PA.c with admin privileges? Try right-clicking on "Start.exe" and saying "Run as Administrator".
It may also be related to bug 31163 (fixed in 10.1), but it doesn't seem that way from your description of the problem.
[edit]Changed the subject to reflect I'm replying to a specific question.
RE: 10.1.1 won't install
Turned out to be an issue with McAfee Host Intrusion Protection. Sorry for raising alarms.
10.1.2 Update - Fixes Find As You Type
Now that SourceForge's download mirrors are working properly, we've pushed out a 10.1.2 update. This update ensures that / to activate find as you type works across all non-English keyboards and also adds F3 as a trigger for one-key access on keyboards where typing a / is more involved. This should make things easier on everybody for now.
To 'Alt' or not to 'Alt'
I'd suggest that the shortcuts in the main menu (e.g. 'S' for Search) either requires that you hold down the 'Alt' key OR that they get underscore under the shortcut letter. As it is now it's inconsistent and you have no way of knowing that/how it works if you're a new user.
Thanks, but I guess one still
Thanks, but I guess one still needs to type a / to use the search function, right?
F3?
As this has been brought up on IRC, I'd like to give my 2 cents, too:
I'm using a German keyboard, which makes the use of '/' impossible (actually it doesn't, but it's [SHIFT+7]), and personally I think F3 to be a little incovenient due to it's position.
Therefore, I suggest implementing one of the following ideas: