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October 23, 2009 2:41 PM PDT

PortableApps adds Chrome and Skype

by Seth Rosenblatt
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The PortableApps Suite is a storehouse and management system for "portable" versions of some of the most popular freeware around. That collection used to be limited only to open-source programs. But on Wednesday it started making portable versions of closed-source freeware to users. The first batch of portable freeware includes Web browser Google Chrome, VoIP client Skype, BitTorrent client uTorrent, antispyware tool SpyDLLRemover, and three others at the time of writing. The new portable versions of these programs work both independently and in tandem with the PortableApps suite.

In a statement published on its Web site, PortableApps.com founder and CEO John Haller said that PortableApps "remains committed" to open-source software, but that closed-source freeware publishers would find other venues for USB stick-friendly versions of their programs if PortableApps didn't open its doors to them. For users that want to support only open-source programs, he said that the PortableApps directory will soon be filterable.

PortableApps is also planning to accept portable versions of commercial software, although it hasn't announced a timeline yet. Readers can check on the latest updates to the PortableApps catalog at their Web site, although we do host most of them at Download.com as well.

Seth peers into the deep, dark corners of software so that you don't have to. He has yet to suffer a single nightmare about OS/2. You can follow him on Twitter.
Topics:

Browsers and extensions,

Chat and e-mail,

Security and spyware,

Windows Software,

File Sharing

Tags:

PortableApps,

Google Chrome,

Skype,

freeware,

open source,

uTorrent

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (9 Comments)
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by ctt1wbw October 24, 2009 3:09 AM PDT
Uh, I already have all these portable apps. They are on my freakin laptops. Therefore, portable.
Reply to this comment
by thydavidcome October 24, 2009 4:32 AM PDT
You don't get the purpose of USB stick apps do you?
by Philips October 24, 2009 6:38 AM PDT
You put the portable apps on USB stick and can use them on pretty much any Windows PC.

PortableApps.com try their best to make sure that applications wouldn't leave any junk on system where you use them.

Thanks to them, e.g. I can use OpenOffice.org to on my job. Mere mortals are obviously not allowed to install any software on their PCs. My company is officially on Office 2007 (which is probably worst office suit I have seen coming from Redmond) while most of my internal documents/etc I do in OO.o which is simple and Just Works (c).
by bryan_cvkn October 24, 2009 9:51 PM PDT
PortableApps is great tool to organize your documents and applications. I use PortableApps and USB Secure to both organize and secure my USB Drive completely. I would recommend you guys have a look at both these applications and make full use of them. USB Secure lets me password protects USB drives and features autoplay and full plug-play support and doesn't require admin rights or installation on other computer. Both these application make for a great portable experience of organizing and security portable devices.
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by ctt1wbw October 25, 2009 4:01 AM PDT
Yeah, I had to put Windows 7 on it to install. I downloaded it the other day. But why not just download Chrome to a computer? Or just copy to install file to a usb drive? Isn't that the same thing?
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by Pregnancom2404 October 25, 2009 4:14 AM PDT
Did PortableApps had permission to the creators of the following applications? Because it looks like illegal to copy looks and code from other applications, right?
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by Silas0220 October 26, 2009 8:18 AM PDT
"...closed-source freeware publishers would find other venues for USB stick-friendly versions of their programs if PortableApps didn't open its doors to them."

Sounds like they came to PortableApps, not the other way around.
by One-Eared Gundark October 26, 2009 10:38 AM PDT
To clear up any confusion: The reason for "portable apps" is to eliminate the need for installation. This allows you to run them without the app going in and mucking up your registry, or putting other hooks into the OS, thus allowing you to run them from removable media.

I love the portable apps, and usually copy them to my desktop computer in lieu of using the "full install" version.
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by loose_screw November 4, 2009 12:21 PM PST
Thanks for the heads up! I love PortableApps!
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