Running Programs on USB Flash Drives

[Canopus]

I need to get an USB Flash Drive so that I can take a couple of portable
programs with me when travelling. I'll be needing to access my GPS device
to save and load data to/from it using a stand alone program run direct
from an exe and also run the portable Filezilla as an ftp client. Is
there any basic difference between the USB Flash Drives except for size
and read/write speed? I've seen one, Busbi 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - with
new U3 Technology
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BND4GI/ref=pd_ys_pym_a_2/026-1878821-0030858?%5Fencoding=UTF8
which claims, quote:

"Includes the new U3 Smart Drive from Clever-stuff. Clever-Stuff U3 Smart
Drives are the second generation in USB Flash Drives technology and bring
a new level of intelligence to the device. It is now possible to install
programs to USB Flash Drives and the Launchpad acts as a one-click gateway
to the installed applications or software portals.

"All 1GB and 2GB busbi USB keys carry the U3 platform, which offers the
following attributes as well as mentioned above – user does not need admin
rights (as software is run from the device). The user leaves no traces on
the host PC that they were ever there and the entire key can be password
protected."

but, can you not run stand alone applications from any Flash Drive and not
leave traces to boot? Is there anything particularly different with this
drive to any other or is this just marketing blurb?

[DougW]

Post by Canopus
I need to get an USB Flash Drive so that I can take a couple of portable
programs with me when travelling. I'll be needing to access my GPS device
to save and load data to/from it using a stand alone program run direct
from an exe and also run the portable Filezilla as an ftp client. Is
there any basic difference between the USB Flash Drives except for size
and read/write speed? I've seen one, Busbi 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - with
new U3 Technology
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BND4GI/ref=pd_ys_pym_a_2/026-1878821-0030858?%5Fencoding=UTF8
"Includes the new U3 Smart Drive from Clever-stuff. Clever-Stuff U3 Smart
Drives are the second generation in USB Flash Drives technology and bring
a new level of intelligence to the device. It is now possible to install
programs to USB Flash Drives and the Launchpad acts as a one-click gateway
to the installed applications or software portals.

This leads me to believe they have some sort of "middleware" installed on
the key that acts as a proxy for applications.

Post by Canopus
"All 1GB and 2GB busbi USB keys carry the U3 platform, which offers the
following attributes as well as mentioned above - user does not need admin
rights (as software is run from the device). ...

That simply means if the software does not require installation (i.e. registry
information or dll's) then you can run it from the flash drive.
(or the middleware on the key takes care of this)

Post by Canopus
...The user leaves no traces on
the host PC that they were ever there and the entire key can be password
protected."

Erm.. that's bull. Our monitoring software at work records and examines
processes that are running. Now if your application doesn't write anything
to the hard drive then that might be true.

Post by Canopus
but, can you not run stand alone applications from any Flash Drive and not
leave traces to boot? Is there anything particularly different with this
drive to any other or is this just marketing blurb?

I would suspect market droid drool. But then again I haven't examined this
product.

[Canopus]

<clip>

Post by Canopus
"Includes the new U3 Smart Drive from Clever-stuff. Clever-Stuff U3 Smart
Drives are the second generation in USB Flash Drives technology and bring
a new level of intelligence to the device. It is now possible to install
programs to USB Flash Drives and the Launchpad acts as a one-click gateway
to the installed applications or software portals.

This leads me to believe they have some sort of "middleware" installed on
the key that acts as a proxy for applications.

Post by Canopus
"All 1GB and 2GB busbi USB keys carry the U3 platform, which offers the
following attributes as well as mentioned above - user does not need admin
rights (as software is run from the device). ...

That simply means if the software does not require installation (i.e. registry
information or dll's) then you can run it from the flash drive.
(or the middleware on the key takes care of this)

Post by Canopus
...The user leaves no traces on
the host PC that they were ever there and the entire key can be password
protected."

Erm.. that's bull. Our monitoring software at work records and examines
processes that are running. Now if your application doesn't write anything
to the hard drive then that might be true.

Post by Canopus
but, can you not run stand alone applications from any Flash Drive and not
leave traces to boot? Is there anything particularly different with this
drive to any other or is this just marketing blurb?

I would suspect market droid drool. But then again I haven't examined this
product.

So in other words a cheaper less gimmicky flash drive would probably be
just as good as all one would have to do is double click the stand alone
applications exe to launch it and you don't need Admin privileges for that
if it doesn't write to registry.

The strange thing is that when I actually look up that flash drive on the
Busbi web site
http://www.busbi.net/products-detail.php?category=&manufacturer=&products_id=720
it has no mention of any of those marketing blurbs found on Amazon.