The future of mobile computing is now!
As mentioned in the introduction pen drivers initially started life as a back up for data. USB pen drives are still very useful for this and I back up all my web sites in case of a problem with my laptop.
The real power of the USB pen drive is that you can also store computer software programs on them. This means you can effectively carry around all your favourite programs, plug your pen drive into any PC with a USB port (all modern computers have a USB port) and then run the programs as if you were on your own laptop!
Portable Software Programs on my pen drive
Portable web browser for a pen drive
Let me explain the real power of the pen drive. On my USB pen drive I have a web browser called Portable Firefox. Firefox is an up and coming web browser that is starting to compete with Microsoft Internet Explorer.
I can plug my pen drive into any PC and open up my own customised browser that remembers all my settings. For example all my favourites are in tact, drop down boxes that I have filled out are remembered and I can even right click on any web page and add it for later viewing on my own laptop for offline viewing.
You can download Portable Firefox here.
Portable email client for the pen drive
Also on my pen drive is a portable email client called Portable Thunderbird (from the same company that writes the Firefox browser. Thunderbird is essentially the same as Microsoft Outlook Express. The difference being is that all your mail and the data that makes the program run is stored on the pen drive.
So while I am in an Internet cafe I can download all my email (and you get a lot of email when you run 8 web sites!) and then when I am back on my laptop and offline I can read and reply. When I next go to an Internet cafe I can then send the emails I composed on my laptop offline.
This is so cool and it has saved me lots of money in Internet cafes typing out and reading emails. Similarly with the browser I save time by not having to remember all my logins and favourites as they are always there.
You can download Portable Thunderbird here.
Portable FTP client for USB pen drives
The final piece of software I have installed on my USB pen drive is an FTP client. FTP clients are used to upload web pages and other files to Internet sites. The program I use is called FTP Commander and can be downloaded here.
FTP commander can be run from a pen drive and will remember all your FTP logins because it uses a text file to store your settings. Again this saves me so much time when I am updating my web sites.
What else is on my portable USB Pen Drive?
I have a complete back up of all my web sites and all associated documents and data. I also have copies of important documents such as passport, travel insurance documentation and other business related documents.
What happens if I lose my USB pen drive?
I have another pen drive that acts as a back up which I always keep separate from the other. If I lose both of them I have everything on my laptop. If I lose everything I have back ups on the web. If I lose everything and the world wide web ceases to exist then I am on my way home!
Additional pen drive tips for backpacker and travelers
I believe that travelers and backpackers in the future will carry pen drives as part of their travel gear.
At the moment you see travelers typing away furiously in Internet cafes using Hotmail, Yahoo or whatever web based email they use. Well how much money would they save if they downloaded their email on to their pen drive and read and replied offline?
I think it is only a matter of time before travelers start doing this.
Of course you need your own notebook computer, laptop or palm top to read your email offline. The great thing is that these items are now much cheaper than before and much more portable.
Small laptops for the traveler
The laptop I use is a Toshiba Portege. It is small with an 11 inch screen but it is easy enough to type on. I think any smaller than this and it would impede the ability for you to type fast.
My laptop cost GBP 120.00 from Ebay. It is 5 years old but still performs really well with Windows XP Professional on. It fits into a protective shock-proof soft case which fits easily into my daypack.
if you are on the move around any country I would not advise a laptop bag as this is like having 'mug me' stamped on your forehead!
The future of mobile computing and Internet for the traveler?
Internet cafes will be dead in a few years. I can see solar powered laptops with always on Internet connection from satellites. The scary thing is that this technology is available now. It just needs to be made more portable.
Beyond that? Who knows. Maybe all your data will be stored in a chip that is implanted into your fingers and your computer screen and keyboard will fold neatly into your pocket.