olddotter writes "Yahoo has an article about how large capacity USB drives might be redefining the concept of the personal computer. The article is windows specific, but think knopix on a flash drive." From the article: "When you check into an average hotel room and find -- alongside the alarm clock, hair dryer and DVD player that once were bring-your-own items but now are as standard as the furniture -- a cheap PC for guests to plug into, as our truly personal computing environment travels with us." USB FlashDrives The New PC? Log in/Create an Account | Top | 249 comments | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 249 comments 0: 247 comments 1: 197 comments 2: 133 comments 3: 47 comments 4: 19 comments 5: 12 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Don't Forget.. (Score:4, Funny) by Pharmboy (216950) on Sunday October 09, @04:34PM (#13752146) (http://www.pharmboy.org/ | Last Journal: Sunday August 28, @12:34PM) Yea, but you still have to bring your own virus and spyware. It will be years til they provide that. [ Reply to This Oh? (Score:5, Insightful) by temojen (678985) on Sunday October 09, @04:37PM (#13752179) (Last Journal: Friday October 07, @05:23PM) I wouldn't trust a hotel (or net-cafe) computer with a USB stick with my private keys, certificates, or banking password. Even if you boot off your USB stick, how do you know it's not booting under Xen? I think it's more likely that the hotel computer has malware already. chambermaids are not sysadmins. [ Reply to This | Parent Re:Oh? (Score:4, Insightful) by Pharmboy (216950) on Sunday October 09, @04:40PM (#13752207) (http://www.pharmboy.org/ | Last Journal: Sunday August 28, @12:34PM) This is referring to a computer with NO operating system at all. You have to provide everything, it's completely diskless, just a usb port. If they did anything, it would have to be at the proxy or some kinda tftp boot.Having a whole operating system on a flash drive isn't that unusual. I have been using Knoppix for years, like a million other people. The flashdrive would just be faster and smaller, and you could write to it and save some files if you chose to. [ Reply to This | Parent Re:Oh? (Score:4, Insightful) by temojen (678985) on Sunday October 09, @04:44PM (#13752230) (Last Journal: Friday October 07, @05:23PM) How do you know it has no OS? [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Oh? by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:46PM vmware with no HD image perhaps? (Score:4, Interesting) by tepples (727027) <tepplesatslashdot@pineight.com> on Sunday October 09, @04:47PM (#13752263) (http://nonofollow.net/ | Last Journal: Sunday January 23, @12:49AM) Then how do you know it's not a virtual machine that's emulating a diskless PC? [ Reply to This | ParentRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by Pharmboy (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:52PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by DeusExMalex (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:09PMEven the BIOS is emulated by tepples (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:43PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by DavidTC (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:45PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by DeusExMalex (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:08PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by fbjon (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:46PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by bhtooefr (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:59PMRe:vmware with no HD image perhaps? by DavidTC (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @09:12PMRe:Even the BIOS is emulated by _fuzz_ (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:18PM4 replies beneath your current threshold.Re:Oh? by Molochi (Score:1)Monday October 10, @12:17AMRe:Oh? by DeusExMalex (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:49PMRe:Oh? by cortana (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:40PMRe:Oh? by ComputerSherpa (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @06:48PMRe:Oh? by jrockway (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @09:12PMRe:Oh? by Mr. Bad Example (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @06:52PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Oh? by timeOday (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:16PM Bad example (Score:4, Informative) by Wudbaer (48473) on Sunday October 09, @08:31PM (#13753404) (http://slashdot.org/) You chose a really bad example up there ;-). At least in Europe fraud using manipulated or even completely bogus ATMs is not too infrequent according to police reports. Apparently there are a lot of mostly Eastern European gangs that either "enhance" real ATM systems with add-ons for the card reader and the keyboard that, while often not discernible on even closer inspection to the non-expert, can log the users PIN codes and grab the transmitted card data. Sometimes they even use complete real-looking fake-ATMs that trick you into entering your PIN and swallowing your ATM card afterwards. Until you have contacted the bank to get your card back from the presumed read ATM they are already spending your money using your real card and the PIN you gave them. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Bad example by petermgreen (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:57PMRe:Bad example by ScrewMaster (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:05PMRe:Oh? by daveb (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @08:07PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Oh? by Jace of Fuse! (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @05:05PMRe:Oh? by Kjella (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:42PMRe:Oh? by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:58PMRe:Oh? by fbjon (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @06:54PMRe:Oh? by Pharmboy (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @07:19PMRe:Oh? by fbjon (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:39PMRe:Oh? by jdeluise (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @09:07PMRe:Oh? by thrillseeker (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @09:10PM2 replies beneath your current threshold.Re:Oh? by sabit666 (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @08:11PMRe:Oh? by myov (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @09:20PMRe:Oh? by TheSloth2001ca (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @10:03PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Right... (Score:3, Funny) by xeon4life (668430) <insomniatic_coder AT yahoo DOT com> on Sunday October 09, @04:34PM (#13752148) (Last Journal: Saturday May 14, @06:11PM) Yes, because Knoppix is so much more familiar to the Slashdot crowd than Windows... [ Reply to ThisRe:Right... by gl4ss (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @04:36PMBleach Time. by twitter (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:57PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Right... by SeventyBang (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @07:57PMRe:Right... by YoungHack (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:58PM Or you can go one better... (Score:5, Informative) by Afecks (899057) on Sunday October 09, @04:35PM (#13752156) ...check out VirtualPrivacyMachine [nyud.net]. DamnSmallLinux made completely anonymous with Tor. [ Reply to This Re:Or you can go one better... (Score:5, Insightful) by temojen (678985) on Sunday October 09, @04:40PM (#13752204) (Last Journal: Friday October 07, @05:23PM) Or just bring your own Laptop. Putting your confidential information in someone else's computer is not safe. ever. [ Reply to This | ParentThis is nothing new... by harbichidian (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @08:35PMRe:Or you can go one better... by Lost Race (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @10:15PM2 replies beneath your current threshold.Checkout the screenshots by matt me (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:44PMRe:Checkout the screenshots by Anonymous Coward (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:16PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Well, that's great (Score:5, Insightful) by the-amazing-blob (917722) on Sunday October 09, @04:35PM (#13752160) It would be nice to have that accessability in hotels, but I have one small problem with USB drives. They're too freaking small. I keep losing them. [ Reply to ThisRe:Well, that's great by Xeo 024 (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @04:41PMRe:Well, that's great by the-amazing-blob (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:52PMCompare prices on USB hard drives by tepples (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:22PMRe:Well, that's great by fbjon (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:59PM Re:Well, that's great (Score:5, Funny) by nizo (81281) * on Sunday October 09, @05:21PM (#13752433) (http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Saturday October 01, @09:52AM) One solution would be to sell flashdrives with a builtin lcd monitor and keyboard; not only would they be hard to lose but the extra functionality would be awesome! [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Well, that's great by Stephen Samuel (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:32PMRe:Well, that's great by fbjon (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:03PMRe:Well, that's great by puddpunk (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @11:40PMRe:Well, that's great by vexx0 (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @08:57PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Well, that's great by HermanAB (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @05:23PMRe:Well, that's great by ikkonoishi (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:41PMRe:Well, that's great by E8086 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:55PMRe: Losing your USB Key(s) by darkonc (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:28PMgood coment by cinnamon colbert (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:52PMRe:Well, that's great by Billly Gates (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:20PMRe:Well, that's great by Nimey (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:22PMRe:Well, that's great by Sloppy (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @11:25PMRe:Well, that's great by theflea (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:01PM3 replies beneath your current threshold. I like this concept (Score:4, Informative) by technoextreme (885694) on Sunday October 09, @04:35PM (#13752162) I have always been fascinated by the programs that can boot off a flash drive because I don't own a computer yet. These programs are quite useful and so far I know of three. (Open Office, Mozilla, and an HTML editor) Does anyone else know what programs can be booted off such a drive? [ Reply to ThisRe:I like this concept by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:38PMPuppy Linux by HermanAB (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:26PMRe:I like this concept by Anonymous Coward (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:42PMRe:I like this concept by I.M.Anonymous (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:20PMI smell something fishy by battamer (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:33PMI have... by SeaFox (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @06:52PMRe:I have... by Your Pal Dave (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:15PMRe:I have... by SchnauzerGuy (Score:2)Monday October 10, @12:16AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:I like this concept by izomiac (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:41PMRe:I like this concept by tepples (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:51PMRe:I like this concept by DavidTC (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:50PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.3 replies beneath your current threshold. Flash drives don't last forever (Score:3, Informative) by heptapod (243146) <heptapod@gmail.com> on Sunday October 09, @04:37PM (#13752174) (Last Journal: Tuesday September 13, @08:30PM) They crap out after so many read/writes. If a company can make a better flash drive all the better. [ Reply to ThisRe:Flash drives don't last forever by Skowronek (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:42PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by 00110011 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:06PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by NanoGator (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @06:48PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by 00110011 (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:58PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Flash drives don't last forever by big daddy kane (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @04:57PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by Cutriss (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:20PMWell, neither do hard drives by Weaselmancer (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:10PM Re:Flash drives don't last forever (Score:5, Interesting) by v1 (525388) on Sunday October 09, @05:10PM (#13752392) (http://vftp.net/) There are "spare" cells in flash drives just the same as there are "spare" blocks on hard drives. There are usually two controller chips in a USB drive (plus the flash chips) - they include the memory controller and a usb (or firewire if you happen to have one) bridge. The memory controller manages the memory and remaps cells that go bad, transparent to the usb/fw bridge. Anyone with a flash drive probably has some bad cells in it, just like hard drives 10 years ago that came with a label printed on the top listing all the bad blocks the new drive shipped with.Parent talks about "wear balancing" - interesting concept though I have not heard of it used on flash drives before... would be a nice idea but not too fun to implement.I use my flash drive several times a day at least, it's a 4gb SanDisk Cruzer Mini. Perfect for hauling around all the maintenance, repair, and update software that I use daily. I don't know why people buy those giant drives that don't fit well in a pocket and block adjacent USB ports. SanDisk also has a lifetime guarantee on their drives, so if mine ever does use up all its spares, I'll just trade it for a new one. Lacks a write protect switch though, which would kinda be nice.Also a less known factoid about USB drives... the fast ones - USB 2.0 "High Speed" (not to be confused with the "Full Speed" snails) only work in powered USB hubs. Can't plug them into the keyboard ports. I wish they'd fix that. I'm tired of having to crawl behind a computer to jack into one of the powered ports. Thankfully most manufacturers are placing a powered usb port on the front of their machines nowadays. (sometimes two)Would be nice too if Apple would fix OS X so it didn't reset all the #@*& USB buses 1.5 seconds into boot, so we could boot X off our flash drives. [ Reply to This | ParentGet a Firewire Flash drive by Dog135 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:49PMRe:Get a Firewire Flash drive by v1 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:01PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by AddressException (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:49PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by v1 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:03PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by petermgreen (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @10:09PMRe:Flash drives don't last forever by swillden (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:16PMYou don't have to crawl behind your computer by Cave_Monster (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @08:51PMRe:You don't have to crawl behind your computer by v1 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:09PMA flash drive should outlast you by HermanAB (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:29PMRe:A flash drive should outlast you by ScrewMaster (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:14PMRe:A flash drive should outlast you by HermanAB (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:41PM The key issue (Score:5, Insightful) by putko (753330) on Sunday October 09, @04:39PM (#13752192) (http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=2768 | Last Journal: Wednesday October 05, @04:08AM) There's nothing magical about USB, or even a local disk.The key issue isn't that the data is on a USB disk, but that it is easy enough for you to carry around all your data (including OS and apps). E.g. compact flash would suffice. Or serial flash.Furthermore, just having secure access to the data (perhaps over the internet) would suffice. Imagine a system where to boot up, the PC fetches your data off the web. Perhaps you use a kind of use-once key to access some of the data, with which the PC computes.The thing I've not been satisfied with yet is the idea that the PC itself would engage in a man-in-the-middle attack. E.g. it stores a copy of whatever data you've accessed (off your USB, compact flash or network storage) -- and the bad guy gets that stuff later. There's no defense against this attack, because the PC is doing the processing.E.g. imagine a compromised PC running something like bochs. It emulates a real PC, but gives away your secrets. [ Reply to ThisRe:The key issue by game kid (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:49PMI meant... by game kid (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:51PMRe:The key issue by Kjella (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @04:50PMRe:The key issue by ucblockhead (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:56PMRe:The key issue by dlockamy (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:35PMCF vs. SD? USB handles both by tepples (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:12PMYou are talking about trust. by twitter (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:41PM2 replies beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold. Trust? (Score:5, Insightful) by wtown (880570) on Sunday October 09, @04:39PM (#13752195) Assuming that you are willing to trust that this machine isn't (either by design or by tampering) just grabbing and logging all of your data.Granted, I'm sure protection mechanisms would be built in to address this, but I think I'd still be a bit skeptical. [ Reply to ThisRe:Trust? by Skowronek (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @04:49PMRe:Trust? by rcbarnes (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @09:22PMRe:Trust? by Skowronek (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @10:59PMRe:Trust? by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:50PMRe:Trust? by berj (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:19PMRe:Trust? by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:55PMRe:Trust? by berj (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @07:17PMRe:Trust? by Pharmboy (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:27PMRe:Trust? by berj (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @07:39PMRe:Trust? by chihowa (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:23PMRe:Trust? by fbjon (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @09:08PMRe:Trust? by Eli Gottlieb (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:40PMRe:Trust? by lgftsa (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:47PMRe:Trust? by hweimer (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @07:37PM Is the network the flashdrive? (Score:5, Funny) by cgrand (852896) on Sunday October 09, @04:39PM (#13752198) (http://www.cgrand.net/blog) I'm puzzled: once I was told the network is the computer and now I learn the flashdrive is the computer.I'm totally at a lost. [ Reply to ThisRe:Is the network the flashdrive? by Mad Marlin (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:41PMWake up, cgrand by Hillgiant (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:17PMRe:Is the network the flashdrive? by Bake (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:03PMRe:Is the network the flashdrive? by ScrewMaster (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @11:17PM Windows? (Score:5, Interesting) by Libor Vanek (248963) <libor DOT vanek AT gmail DOT com> on Sunday October 09, @04:40PM (#13752203) (http://slashdot.org/) Now only if Windows can correctly boot on completely different box... Author probably never tried to take his Windows XP disk and boot in different box with different mainboard, video and network card... [ Reply to This Re:Windows? (Score:4, Funny) by Pharmboy (216950) on Sunday October 09, @04:44PM (#13752227) (http://www.pharmboy.org/ | Last Journal: Sunday August 28, @12:34PM) Author probably never tried to take his Windows XP disk and boot in different box with different mainboard, video and network card...Piece of cake. Just install flashdrive, answer Yes and NO alot, reboot 12 times, download two drivers each time, then call for authorization to activate your computer yet again. Setup time would be less than two hours each time. This is much better than bringing your own laptop.... [ Reply to This | ParentINSIGHTFUL? MOD IT FUNNY! by masterzora (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:27PMRe:INSIGHTFUL? MOD IT FUNNY! by swillden (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @06:52PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Windows? by HermanAB (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:31PMRe:Windows? by MS_leases_my_soul (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @09:42PMRe:Windows? by HermanAB (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @10:03PMRe:Windows? by MS_leases_my_soul (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @10:51PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Windows? by hitmark (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:57PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Pretty old concept (Score:1) by PinkyCerebro (921613) on Sunday October 09, @04:42PM (#13752217) Well, this is almost as old as the live-cds, a quick search within slashdot gives us even servers [slashdot.org] in a usb key.Superb hosting [dreamhost.com] 4800MB Storage, 120GB bandwidth, ssh, $7.95Kunowalls!!! [kunowalls.host.sk] Sexy wallpapers (NSFW!). [ Reply to This Subnotebooks ... (Score:2, Interesting) by gst (76126) on Sunday October 09, @04:45PM (#13752237) (http://web.sysfrog.org/log/) I already have my "Personal Computer" in form of a 1.2kg subnotebook. While 1.2kg is still not the ideal weight the new models get better each year (unlike some years ago when notebook manufacturers only cared about the performance and not about the size). All I need is an open accesspoint so that I'm able to check my mails when traveling. If there's no AP nearby I can still use bluetooth to connect to my mobile and then use GPRS to get onto the net. And when I'm at home I just put the notebook into the docking station and I have a "normal PC" with a large monitor and a connected soundsystem. [ Reply to ThisRe:Subnotebooks ... by geminidomino (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @04:53PMRe:Subnotebooks ... by gst (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:03PMRe:Subnotebooks ... by gst (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:05PMRe:Subnotebooks ... by geminidomino (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:10PM USB would need a security layer. (Score:5, Insightful) by G4from128k (686170) on Sunday October 09, @04:46PM (#13752247) This sounds like a security/privacy nightmare. What stops the host PC from copying the drive or infecting it with malware from the prior user. Even if the USB drive uses an encrypted filesystem, once you type your password into the PC to access any file on the user data partition, you have no guarantee that it won't access every file on the drive. I can also see this giving corporate security managers the screaming heebie jeebies over the thought of returning road-warrior executives bringing infected USB drives inside the the corporate firewall (yes, you can scan for malware but you're still susceptible to zero-day attacks and delays in AV updates).Perhaps this would work if the client machine were truly memory-less (no HD, no NVRAM, no flash ROM, etc.). Then the machine could be a secure blank slate for whatever the USB user needed to do. Given the prevalence of flashable firmware on everything (and the need for persistent machine configuration data), I doubt this is very feasible. [ Reply to ThisRe:USB would need a security layer. by misleb (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @05:23PMBootable CD as a backup by Anonymous Bullard (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @07:20PMRe:Bootable CD as a backup by misleb (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:32PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by Pharmboy (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @05:23PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by Tim C (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:46PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by Pharmboy (Score:3)Sunday October 09, @07:11PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by chihowa (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @08:36PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by CableModemSniper (Score:1)Sunday October 09, @07:21PMRe:USB would need a security layer. by v1 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:45PM Not a new idea (Score:2) by Aqua OS X (458522) on Sunday October 09, @04:58PM (#13752334) (http://www.ghostalmedia.com/) I had been doing something similar with my 20gig iPod for a while. At the time, I owned a desktop computer, so portability was a problem. Eventually installed OS X and all of my graphic design applications onto the iPod and used it as a boot disk.It worked pretty well. Whenever I came to a new mac, I would turn it off, plug in the iPod, and boot while holding down the "T" key to target the new drive. Unfortunately, the iPod's hard disk is not the speediest thing in the world. Moreover, I doubt toshiba drive would last long if it was being used 8+ hours a day, everyday.But as for the article. They harddrive-less / headless computer is not a new idea. As well all know, it's older then dirt. Yet ballooning operating systems, massive applications, and multimedia content have made it fairly impractical. Although flash drives and micro hard drives will grow in reliability and size, the amount data people use will undoubtedly grow as well.I doubt we'll go back to harddrive-less computers any time soon. However they might be useful within academic institutions. Diskettes were handy in computer labs back in the 80's and early 90's. Students could carry their applications and projects with them... lab computer's weren't littered with crap like they are now. [ Reply to ThisRe:Not a new idea by misleb (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:30PM I'm confused (Score:2) by Duckman5 (665208) on Sunday October 09, @05:05PM (#13752366) The article makes reference to this new "U3 technology" [u3.com] that enables a flash drive to run programs. Exactly what is the point of this? Does anybody know. As far as I know, any program should be able to run off any flash drive as long as it doesn't do something like store all its settings on the host computer's registry or something. Isn't that how stuff like Portable Firefox, Thunderbird, etc. work? So why exactly is this concept so hard to do that one needs a special software SDK and specially designed hardware? [ Reply to ThisRe:I'm confused by NapalmMan (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @05:37PMRe:I'm confused by Duckman5 (Score:2)Sunday October 09, @06:47PM Predicted about 10 years ago (Score:3, Interesting) by Flying Purple Wombat (787087) on Sunday October 09, @05:07PM (#13752380) About 10 years ago, an engineer from our systems vendor predicted that one day, our computers would be the card-sized. We were looking at a PCMCIA flash card at the moment. Keyboard/mouse/display terminals would be everywhere, and we would just carry the cards around and plug them in wherever. PDA type terminals would be available for portable use. Sounds like it's coming to pass. Wonder if the guy got a patent out of that idea? [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold.