My Story

This was originally supposed to be my bio, but it turned into so much more. This is the story of how PortableApps changed my life.

My name is Zackery and though I am young, I have big dreams. I don't know exactly, but after I graduate college, I will definitely get a job in the technology area. Programming or game design are my top two choices.

Even though good equipment is costly, my family doesn't have much money so I spend most of my days at my decade-old Dell desktop with Windows XP doing whatever I can with 256mb of RAM and a 15gb hard drive.

Despite my hardware limitations, I have obtained a thorough understanding of the Windows operating system and I have basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript. Not only that but I can easily adapt to and master programs I am unfamiliar with.

My 32gb SanDisk Glide flash drive was given to my now Web Design teacher to use for classes and back then, that's all I did with it. But then I found PortableApps.com.

Flash back to ninth grade. I was just an average kid who had no advanced computer knowledge. I had to type up a major essay in a few days. I didn't have a word processor nor internet on my home computer so my only option was to use a school computer. This simply wasn't enough time to type it up at school because I didn't have any study halls and I couldn't stay after school. All that was left was lunch and as we all know, food and computers don't mix.

I was desperate. I tried using Notepad but it wouldn't format correctly. I thought about looking online for illegal free copies of MS Word but ultimately decided against it. I even asked my English teacher to email me a copy of LibreOffice but the files were corrupt.

On the day before this all-important essay was due, I asked my now Web Design teacher if she had any ideas. She told me I could download a portable version of OpenOffice from PortableApps.com. I asked her what she meant by "portable" and she told me that it meant I could install it onto my flash drive. I stopped by the computer lab in between classes and downloaded it. I got home, opened up OpenOffice Portable and typed up my essay. I was exhausted, but at least I got a good grade.

My life continued as it had before for a while. But then I got curious about what else PortableApps offered. A few months later, my flash drive was packed with portable apps and I had even downloaded the platform and joined the forums.

PortableApps made me the person I am today; a nerdy teenager with a passion for technology. PortableApps is the reason I have a career in technology to look forward to. And PortableApps is the reason I didn't have to repeat ninth grade. I would like to thank my teacher, Mrs. Villone, for helping me find PortableApps and being a great teacher in general, John T. Haller for founding PortableApps, and also this great community for helping me with my problems time after time. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.