12.30.2005
PortableApps.com
John Haller, who created the Portable Apps Suite, that is the core of my own Portable Apps Collection, has created a new site called PortableApps.com. The site looks excellent and I highly recommend that you check it out. John has done great work on making apps more sutiable to use on USB flash drives and is continuing to convert more apps. It is because of his initial work on Portable Firefox that got me interested in loading apps on my own flash drive.
12.12.2005
VBScript, gift guide and more...
This past week I posted several new articles in the Wiki. I also update the Portable Apps Collection with new versions of Firefox, Truecrypt, etc. In a related note, John Haller now has a great website up for his Portable Apps Suite. John is the brains behind the portable versions of Firefox, OpenOffice, GAIM, etc. His collection is what got me started thinking about what apps could be run from a flash drive and still makes up the core of my Portable Apps Collection.
I also posted three new articles in the wiki. One is strictly for humor, but the other two are more useful. The humorous article is titled Open Letter to Users and includes some "tips" for end users from a Systems Admin. Take a look at the list and if you want to add a tip, go ahead!
The useful articles are a VBScripting guide and a Holiday Shopping Guide. The VBScripting guide cover some basic VBS stuff and has examples of a logon script, invetory script and more. The shopping guide is unique because anyone can add to this list. If you know of a cool gadget that should be in the guide, just add it.
I also posted three new articles in the wiki. One is strictly for humor, but the other two are more useful. The humorous article is titled Open Letter to Users and includes some "tips" for end users from a Systems Admin. Take a look at the list and if you want to add a tip, go ahead!
The useful articles are a VBScripting guide and a Holiday Shopping Guide. The VBScripting guide cover some basic VBS stuff and has examples of a logon script, invetory script and more. The shopping guide is unique because anyone can add to this list. If you know of a cool gadget that should be in the guide, just add it.
12.01.2005
Coming soon...
This past week, I have been extremely busy doing some VBScripting at work. Since I was already working on the subject, I have been preparing some articles for TheInfoBox Wiki along the same lines. VBScripts are great for use as logon scripts and to do other administrative tasks in a Windows environment. In the next few days, I hope to finish up the articles I have been working on and post them to the wiki.
I am also trying to update the Portable Apps Collection and Essential Software Collection. The main reason for this round of updates is to include the latest version of Firefox. As you may have seen, Firefox 1.5 was released this past week. This is really the first big update to the browser since its initial release last year.
By the way... So far, there hasn't been a lot of interest in the Essential Software Collection. I think it is a great collection for all of the people getting new PCs this holiday season. I know many readers already have most of this software (or similar software), but it is great for handing out to relataives, friends, and coworkers that get new PCs. Last Christmas, I gave out over 20 copies of the CD and everyone loved it. I guess, part of the problem is that I still don't have an easy way to download it. I'm going to try and rectify that as well. Stay tuned...
I am also trying to update the Portable Apps Collection and Essential Software Collection. The main reason for this round of updates is to include the latest version of Firefox. As you may have seen, Firefox 1.5 was released this past week. This is really the first big update to the browser since its initial release last year.
By the way... So far, there hasn't been a lot of interest in the Essential Software Collection. I think it is a great collection for all of the people getting new PCs this holiday season. I know many readers already have most of this software (or similar software), but it is great for handing out to relataives, friends, and coworkers that get new PCs. Last Christmas, I gave out over 20 copies of the CD and everyone loved it. I guess, part of the problem is that I still don't have an easy way to download it. I'm going to try and rectify that as well. Stay tuned...
11.18.2005
Essential Software Collection 2 finished!
If you have struggled to get a full download of the Portable USB Apps collection, I may have found a solution. I put the file on File Factory. This is a free file hosting service. The downside is that they require you to use Internet Explorer and they have a ton of pop up adds. I posted the link on the website yesterday afternoon, and so far it has been downloaded over 180 times!
Here is the link to the direct download: http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=43ee8de544a2f54747dacb5e
btw... I also just finished a similar project that I call the Essential Software Collection CD. Details are available at http://www.theinfobox.com/index.php/Essential_Software_Collection
Basically, I created the ESC CD for friends and coworkers that bought new PCs and then were disappointed that it came with no software. The CD includes a collection of software that is free and should be enough to get most users started. I also included a subset of the Portable Application Collection as well. I think the CD makes a great stocking stuffer for those recieving new PCs for Christmas.
And, of course, I am also trying to make the ISO image of the CD available for download. Unfortunately, it is about 700megs. I'm not sure how useful bittorrent will be since with a download that big, it will take me forever to seed it to the first peers. I tried uploading it to FileFactory last night, but it failed at some point during the 7 hour transfer. Trust me, if I can find a way to get this out there, I will.
Here is the link to the direct download: http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=43ee8de544a2f54747dacb5e
btw... I also just finished a similar project that I call the Essential Software Collection CD. Details are available at http://www.theinfobox.com/index.php/Essential_Software_Collection
Basically, I created the ESC CD for friends and coworkers that bought new PCs and then were disappointed that it came with no software. The CD includes a collection of software that is free and should be enough to get most users started. I also included a subset of the Portable Application Collection as well. I think the CD makes a great stocking stuffer for those recieving new PCs for Christmas.
And, of course, I am also trying to make the ISO image of the CD available for download. Unfortunately, it is about 700megs. I'm not sure how useful bittorrent will be since with a download that big, it will take me forever to seed it to the first peers. I tried uploading it to FileFactory last night, but it failed at some point during the 7 hour transfer. Trust me, if I can find a way to get this out there, I will.
11.05.2005
Portable Apps Collection Updated
I just posted a torrent of the updated Portable Apps Collection. This new set includes OpenOffice.org 2.0, Firefox 1.5RC1, more games, and the latest version of AntiVir. It has grown in size and is about a 235MB download.
I have to admit, this version was a bit rushed. After the attention the collection got on Digg.com, I just wanted to get something updated. In the next couple of weeks, I'll spend more time making it easier to customize the collection and a way to provide easier updates. In the meantime, enjoy... It is a pretty good collection, if I do say so myself. I know my USB drive is a lot more valuable to me with these apps loaded!
I have to admit, this version was a bit rushed. After the attention the collection got on Digg.com, I just wanted to get something updated. In the next couple of weeks, I'll spend more time making it easier to customize the collection and a way to provide easier updates. In the meantime, enjoy... It is a pretty good collection, if I do say so myself. I know my USB drive is a lot more valuable to me with these apps loaded!
11.04.2005
Black Friday 2005
Halloween is history and Thanksgiving is on its way. This also means that Black Friday is just around the corner. (If you don't know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers mark it as the day they go "in the black" for the year, and saavy consumers know it for the great sales!)
I always love Black Friday. Last year, I bought a ton of stuff. I had to fill out a bunch of rebate forms, but in the end I got back a couple hundred dollars. I am hoping to do even better this year.
Of course, the key to a successful Black Friday is getting the sales ads and planning a strategy. With the internet, this has become easier since many ads get posted online early. In fact, there are already a couple of ads being posted! Once you get all the ads, you can plan your shopping route so that you can hit all the stores and bargains that time permits!
As we get closer to Black Friday, I will post some tips on how to beat the clock and get what you want. In the meantime, check out my Black Friday 2005 page at TheInfoBox.com. You'll find more info about Black Friday, actual Black Friday deals from Wal-Mart, Sears, etc., and links to other deal websites.
I always love Black Friday. Last year, I bought a ton of stuff. I had to fill out a bunch of rebate forms, but in the end I got back a couple hundred dollars. I am hoping to do even better this year.
Of course, the key to a successful Black Friday is getting the sales ads and planning a strategy. With the internet, this has become easier since many ads get posted online early. In fact, there are already a couple of ads being posted! Once you get all the ads, you can plan your shopping route so that you can hit all the stores and bargains that time permits!
As we get closer to Black Friday, I will post some tips on how to beat the clock and get what you want. In the meantime, check out my Black Friday 2005 page at TheInfoBox.com. You'll find more info about Black Friday, actual Black Friday deals from Wal-Mart, Sears, etc., and links to other deal websites.
10.28.2005
Portable Apps update progress
After the attention that my Portable Applications collection got last weekend, I have decided to update that collection as well as my Essential Software Collection CD. The difference between the two is that the ESC CD is mostly software that you would want to install on a permanent basis. Of course, there is quite a bit of overlap, and I haven't decided how to manage it yet.
Actually, there are a lot of things I have decided on yet. I didn't really mean for this stuff to be ongoing projects. I just threw them together to meet my needs. Now I have to figure out how often I want to update them and how I select what becomes a part of the collections. The other problem is that they are huge files. It seems that using BitTorrent to distribute them works best. In addition to that, I'm going to try USENET. And if someone really wants a copy, I'll mail them the files on CD (for a small fee).
If all goes well, I should have some updated releases by the end of next week. Of course, I could already be done if I really wanted to. Instead, I have decided to take a more systematic approach. I have been building a database of what packages are in each collection. Then, to publish the set, I just click a button and it takes a snapshot of the current database and makes the collection complete. The system isn't perfect, but I'm still learning. I've been using XML and XSL to get the output like I want. So far it is working pretty good. Like I said, I hope to have a release finished by next weekend.
Actually, there are a lot of things I have decided on yet. I didn't really mean for this stuff to be ongoing projects. I just threw them together to meet my needs. Now I have to figure out how often I want to update them and how I select what becomes a part of the collections. The other problem is that they are huge files. It seems that using BitTorrent to distribute them works best. In addition to that, I'm going to try USENET. And if someone really wants a copy, I'll mail them the files on CD (for a small fee).
If all goes well, I should have some updated releases by the end of next week. Of course, I could already be done if I really wanted to. Instead, I have decided to take a more systematic approach. I have been building a database of what packages are in each collection. Then, to publish the set, I just click a button and it takes a snapshot of the current database and makes the collection complete. The system isn't perfect, but I'm still learning. I've been using XML and XSL to get the output like I want. So far it is working pretty good. Like I said, I hope to have a release finished by next weekend.
10.24.2005
I've been Dugg
Over the weekend, my portable USB app collection made it to the frontpage at Digg.com. I'm happy to report that my webserver took the load with no problems. After getting about 10-20 visitors per day, last week I hit about 200 when someone posted the collection on USENET. Then, after the Digg.com posting, I received about 15,000 hits!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
10.19.2005
Portable USB Apps Prove Popular
I guess someone downloaded my collection of USB apps and posted it on USENET. In the past 24 hours, I've had about 1,600 visits to my Portable USB Apps page. (Of course, it would have been nice if some of them would have clicked on my Google ads, but that's OK.) Anyway, I'm glad that people are finding the collection to be useful. Now I need to go back and tweak them some more. If you have any feedback on what I should include or change to my collection, just let me know.
While I'm at it, I'm also going to revamp my Essential Software Collection CD. The difference between that collection and the USB apps is that the ESC stuff is meant to be installed permanently. I tried to include all the software that a person would need if they bought a brand new PC. Again, if you have any suggestions, just let me know.
While I'm at it, I'm also going to revamp my Essential Software Collection CD. The difference between that collection and the USB apps is that the ESC stuff is meant to be installed permanently. I tried to include all the software that a person would need if they bought a brand new PC. Again, if you have any suggestions, just let me know.
10.18.2005
Windows-Tools on CD-ROM (or USB stick)
I found a link on Digg about Dirk Loss and his list of more than 600 free utilities that can be burned to a pocket CD-R or a usb stick. He has compiled a small list of instructions on how to create a bootable CD image to create a rescue disk complete with all these utils! This is really cool. I'm going to see if I can find some more useful stuff for my Portable USB collection at TheInfoBox.com. It also seems my collection is getting more popular. I try to keep the BitTorrent seed going all the time, but it would be nice if I could find other seeders or mirrors.
Dirk's Collection Original Digg story
Dirk's Collection Original Digg story
10.15.2005
IM Wars... Again
It seems the IM wars are heating up again. A couple years ago, it seemed every provider was fighting to gain access to the others network while keeping their own networked closed. Last week, Yahoo and MSN announced they would be opening up their networks to each other. Of course, they wanted everyone to be happy about it. For me, it is too late.
I have been using Trillian or GAIM for the past couple of years, and I'm not going back to their proprietary crap. Sure, I might be missing out on webcams, but who really uses that stuff? I just want to be able to send quick messages with whowever I want and not worry about which network I am using.
Of course, one new twist is the relatively new Google Talk. Although Google is proprietary, that are using the Jabber protocol. They have offered to hook up with any company that is willing. They also give instructions on how to connect to their network with non-Google clients. The Google Talk client is actually rather lacking. The only reason it gets my attention is the excellent VOIP chat. For now, not many people I know are willing to switch to Google Talk. I guess that Google Talk is just wait and see for the time being.
No matter what happens in the short term, I believe IM will become as interoperable as email. Right now, email systems are transparent to the users. The only thing that matters is the client that they see. Imagine that... Software vendors will have to compete based on their software. Once this happens, then I will be happy.
I have been using Trillian or GAIM for the past couple of years, and I'm not going back to their proprietary crap. Sure, I might be missing out on webcams, but who really uses that stuff? I just want to be able to send quick messages with whowever I want and not worry about which network I am using.
Of course, one new twist is the relatively new Google Talk. Although Google is proprietary, that are using the Jabber protocol. They have offered to hook up with any company that is willing. They also give instructions on how to connect to their network with non-Google clients. The Google Talk client is actually rather lacking. The only reason it gets my attention is the excellent VOIP chat. For now, not many people I know are willing to switch to Google Talk. I guess that Google Talk is just wait and see for the time being.
No matter what happens in the short term, I believe IM will become as interoperable as email. Right now, email systems are transparent to the users. The only thing that matters is the client that they see. Imagine that... Software vendors will have to compete based on their software. Once this happens, then I will be happy.
10.11.2005
Google and Sun - Is that all?
Last week, an enormous buzz was generated when the press found out that Sun and Google were going to have a joint press conference. There was a lot of speculation before the announcement, and most people settled on the idea of a Google Office being announced. (Sun is behind the wonderfully successful OpenOffice.org.) What they actually announced was cross promotion of each others products. Google would promote Java and Sun would promote the Google toolbar.
What? Is that it? They did mention future collaboration on stuff, but nothing concrete. Needless to say, the press (and Google/Sun fans) were disappointed. It seemed like a letdown to almost everyone involved.
Afterwards, a lot of people asked does a Google Office even make sense. In my opinion, it does. Google's goal has been to make information more easily available to its customers. Google Search, Froogle, Maps, etc. all make it easier for you and me to get the information that we need. One problem that I run into personally is that I don't have the files I need when I need them. If Google had an office suite that could save to a Google server or even an online Office suite, I could access my data anywhwere.
Of course, the biggest problem would be how would Google make money from this. As we see in their other services, they like customizing ads to fit their customer. For example, in Gmail, you get an ad for hotels in Florida if you send an email about Disney World. They could do the same for your office documents and make money that way. But there is a problem with that idea. A lot of people raised privacy concerns over the GMail ads and would like do so about Google scanning your documents for the same purpose.
This is going to be a touchy subject. Of course, we don't know if Google is even interested in the idea. If they do release such a product, I would at least be interested in trying it out. It would be great to use the 2.5+ Gigs of storage in my Gmail account for storage of my documents. Not only would they be available anywhere, I'm betting Google does a better job of backing up than I do!
What? Is that it? They did mention future collaboration on stuff, but nothing concrete. Needless to say, the press (and Google/Sun fans) were disappointed. It seemed like a letdown to almost everyone involved.
Afterwards, a lot of people asked does a Google Office even make sense. In my opinion, it does. Google's goal has been to make information more easily available to its customers. Google Search, Froogle, Maps, etc. all make it easier for you and me to get the information that we need. One problem that I run into personally is that I don't have the files I need when I need them. If Google had an office suite that could save to a Google server or even an online Office suite, I could access my data anywhwere.
Of course, the biggest problem would be how would Google make money from this. As we see in their other services, they like customizing ads to fit their customer. For example, in Gmail, you get an ad for hotels in Florida if you send an email about Disney World. They could do the same for your office documents and make money that way. But there is a problem with that idea. A lot of people raised privacy concerns over the GMail ads and would like do so about Google scanning your documents for the same purpose.
This is going to be a touchy subject. Of course, we don't know if Google is even interested in the idea. If they do release such a product, I would at least be interested in trying it out. It would be great to use the 2.5+ Gigs of storage in my Gmail account for storage of my documents. Not only would they be available anywhere, I'm betting Google does a better job of backing up than I do!
10.08.2005
Login Scripts
This week I have been playing with login scripts a lot. Although it can take some effort to learn how to create a good login script, it is worth it. Login scripts make it easy to configure your users' workstations and push out new settings whenever you feel like it.
Here are some of the things I am implementing in the login scripts I have written:
Although I started programming the login scripts in regular old DOS batch files, I eventually switched to the more versatile VBScript. For examples of my login scripts, vist the main site at http://www.theinfobox.com.
Here are some of the things I am implementing in the login scripts I have written:
- Map drives based on group membership.
- Map printers based on computer name.
- Automatic Outlook profile creation.
- Patch installation.
- Registry changes.
Although I started programming the login scripts in regular old DOS batch files, I eventually switched to the more versatile VBScript. For examples of my login scripts, vist the main site at http://www.theinfobox.com.
9.26.2005
U3? Not me!
The U3 group has opened a beta version of their software store. I thought I would be disappointed, and I was. The collection is pretty limited and the prices are high. There are some many free sources such as PortableFreeware.com and my own collection at TheInfoBox.com . Once again, it seems that the marketing guys are taking an easy idea and making into a "feature." It seems like they want this to be just another way to charge your more for what you already have access to.
9.12.2005
Portable USB Apps
Lately, I have been working on a collection of portable apps. I have a 512mb USB Flash drive that I always carry with me. At first, I just used it to shuttle files back and forth to work. Then, I decided to find an application to store my many passwords. After that, I still had a ton of space left on the flash drive.
Even though I am a systems administrator at work, I still need to keep my system free of unauthorized software. This led me to my next step of looking for a way to have some of my favorite apps available without having to install them. It didn't take me long to find portable versions of Firefox, PSPad, NVU, etc.
Although I was able to find info on individual programs, there wasn't a easy way to put them all on my flash drive. In the end, I did a lot of downloading and configuration to come up with what I call the Ultimate Portable Software Collection. For more info, visit TheInfoBox.com. I have posted a BitTorrent link to download all the free apps in one package. I also have a howto on how to set them up on your flash drive.
Even though I am a systems administrator at work, I still need to keep my system free of unauthorized software. This led me to my next step of looking for a way to have some of my favorite apps available without having to install them. It didn't take me long to find portable versions of Firefox, PSPad, NVU, etc.
Although I was able to find info on individual programs, there wasn't a easy way to put them all on my flash drive. In the end, I did a lot of downloading and configuration to come up with what I call the Ultimate Portable Software Collection. For more info, visit TheInfoBox.com. I have posted a BitTorrent link to download all the free apps in one package. I also have a howto on how to set them up on your flash drive.
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