Is there a portable Outlook?

  • Thread starter StargateFanFromWork
  • Start date
S

StargateFanFromWork

Portable apps are for use on removable media such as USB flash drive/memory
sticks, etc.

Significant differences between being portable and being regular software is
that it's in essence a standalone app with all config files included with
app itself and not on parts of host computer, etc. No registry entries,
leaves no traces. And most signficantly, I've found, NOT drive-letter
based.

Sunbird and Thunderbird have had portable versions out for some time and I'm
using Portable Firefox now exclusively on my browser both at home and on my
flash drive. Just wondering if MS had come out with a Portable Outlook yet.

Thanks much! :eek:D
 
D

dlw

Microsoft make software that doesn't use dozens of dll and configuration
files stashed all over your hard drive, and all those registry entries?
Those programmers there earn their pay, you know.
 
V

Vanguard

in message
Portable apps are for use on removable media such as USB flash
drive/memory sticks, etc.

Significant differences between being portable and being regular
software is that it's in essence a standalone app with all config
files included with app itself and not on parts of host computer, etc.
No registry entries, leaves no traces. And most signficantly, I've
found, NOT drive-letter based.

Sunbird and Thunderbird have had portable versions out for some time
and I'm using Portable Firefox now exclusively on my browser both at
home and on my flash drive. Just wondering if MS had come out with a
Portable Outlook yet.
Click to expand...


Thunderbird is a *personal* e-mail client. Outlook was designed to
function in a corporate environment and work with the Exchange mail
server although it will support POP3/IMAP4/SMTP for general all-around
mail protocol support. Outlook is a PIM that includes e-mail, not just
an e-mail program.

There are 3rd party products that do something like you want, like
http://www.imaginelan.com/products.html, but still require Outlook be
installed on the host. Of course, since there is still the requirement
to have Outlook on each host, you could just specify the .pst file is on
the flash drive and not bother with 3rd party software.
 
S

StargateFanFromWork

Vanguard said:
in message



Thunderbird is a *personal* e-mail client. Outlook was designed to
function in a corporate environment and work with the Exchange mail server
although it will support POP3/IMAP4/SMTP for general all-around mail
protocol support. Outlook is a PIM that includes e-mail, not just an
e-mail program.
Click to expand...

Obviously, I just gave these as examples. There are thousands of developers
turning out Portable versions of their apps.
There are 3rd party products that do something like you want, like
http://www.imaginelan.com/products.html, but still require Outlook be
installed on the host. Of course, since there is still the requirement to
have Outlook on each host, you could just specify the .pst file is on the
flash drive and not bother with 3rd party software.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's why I've been confused. I saw a discussion somewhere that
becomes clearer what you've mentioned here.

I think that I deduce from this that, no, MS has not yet come out with a
Portable Outlook. I haven't heard mention of a Portable Word or P.
PowerPoint etc., yet, but I'll keep my eyes open in the future. Sooner or
later they probably will (if they want a piece of the Portable market, that
is).

Thanks.
 
V

Vanguard

in message
...

Obviously, I just gave these as examples. There are thousands of
developers turning out Portable versions of their apps.


Yes, that's why I've been confused. I saw a discussion somewhere that
becomes clearer what you've mentioned here.

I think that I deduce from this that, no, MS has not yet come out with
a Portable Outlook. I haven't heard mention of a Portable Word or P.
PowerPoint etc., yet, but I'll keep my eyes open in the future.
Sooner or later they probably will (if they want a piece of the
Portable market, that is).
Click to expand...

Well, with thumb drives getting in the 4GB to 16GB range, I suppose you
could install Windows and Office on the thumb drive as long as the BIOS
will boot from that device. That is, with enough memory, the device and
BIOS gets around Microsoft's shortsightedness, but then the consumer
market isn't their biggest customer.
 
S

StargateFanFromWork

Vanguard said:
in message


Well, with thumb drives getting in the 4GB to 16GB range, I suppose you
could install Windows and Office on the thumb drive as long as the BIOS
will boot from that device. That is, with enough memory, the device and
BIOS gets around Microsoft's shortsightedness, but then the consumer
market isn't their biggest customer.
Click to expand...

Mine is 4GB in size, yes, but total size. I'm currently using about 700megs
of that. To tell you the truth, all I need is the calendar and task
functions. I've used all sorts of other schedulers but it's one of the few
instances where a MS product is the best around for that sort of thing.
Excel is the other. These 2 products, for me, have nothing approaching
them. So it occurred to me that a Portable Outlook would work. I have no
need for the mail component. That would probably open a can of worms and
besides, people know to email me directly to either my work or home email
account so all that part isn't necessary. I got the idea from Portable
Sunbird, where Thunderbird came out with just the calendar component, too.

Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open. I know that even though M$' main customers
are not the consumers, USB drives are being bought up for work reasons.
That'll change their tune. My govt department just bought 15 USB flash
drives for use with the aircraft my teams work on.

Anyway, thanks. :eek:D
 
V

Vanguard

in message
Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open. I know that even though M$' main
customers are not the consumers, USB drives are being bought up for
work reasons. That'll change their tune. My govt department just
bought 15 USB flash drives for use with the aircraft my teams work on.
Click to expand...


USB thumb drives are causing lots of headaches for IT departments. I
see more and more are finding ways to lockout their use to prevent data
theft, infections, or other security breaches. Seems your department
went the other way but it is strange that they aren't using encryption
on the USB drives to ensure that data isn't getting into the wrong
hands.
 
S

StargateFan

in message



USB thumb drives are causing lots of headaches for IT departments. I
see more and more are finding ways to lockout their use to prevent data
theft, infections, or other security breaches. Seems your department
went the other way but it is strange that they aren't using encryption
on the USB drives to ensure that data isn't getting into the wrong
hands.
Click to expand...

Sorry for delay in responding back. I was with internet problems
since I moved back in August. Up and running at home only since
yesterday afternoon so getting caught up.

The department bought them strictly for data use within the hangar.
These are not for personal use. I imagine that's why there isn't the
issue with USB as might otherwise be the case.

And, damn, if they start locking these out. They've locked out the
computers so much that those of us who are power users can't use
efficiency-enhancing processes we've developed. I've gotten
workarounds that will work off the hard drive that can't affect the
registry, as far as I know, because they'd secured those down tightly.
Just when we find a solution we can live with, you tell me this <g>.
<sigh> Good thing I'm planning to really work on my own business now
that certain things have improved with my situation. Getting tired of
the treadmill we face all the time to not only keep up but to keep
fast and marketable. If they lock out the USB flash drives, I'll be
screwed ...

Well, nothing I can do about that now. I'll cross _that_ bridge when
I get to it.

Thanks.
 
B

Brian Tillman

StargateFan said:
If they lock out the USB flash drives, I'll be screwed ...
Click to expand...

The company for which I work doesn't allow USB drives except for the ones
they supply. If you can demonstrate a business need for one, they'll issue
you one (that's automatically encrypted), but if you can't, forget it.
 
S

StargateFan

The company for which I work doesn't allow USB drives except for the ones
they supply. If you can demonstrate a business need for one, they'll issue
you one (that's automatically encrypted), but if you can't, forget it.
Click to expand...

Who would? Microsoft?

Doubtful that it would work if it's encrypted, I have a funny feeling.
We tried in my last contract to work with encryption on two different
USB devices and these required administrator level access so none of
them would work on the computers at the office.

But I'm still curious. I have yet to find anything a good as Outlook
(not something I can say about ever MS product! <g>).

Thanks. :)
 
B

Brian Tillman

StargateFan said:
Who would? Microsoft?
Click to expand...

Of course not. The company for which I work would do that (for me), as I
already said. I was simply commenting on your dependence on the USB drive
by stating that, where I work, we aren't even allow to use USB drives,
unless they're company-issued. That's all.
 
S

StargateFan

Of course not. The company for which I work would do that (for me), as I
already said. I was simply commenting on your dependence on the USB drive
by stating that, where I work, we aren't even allow to use USB drives,
unless they're company-issued. That's all.
Click to expand...

I totally misunderstood what you were talking about, which is too bad.
So no portable Outlook _is_ available whether or not be can prove
they're needed for company use. That's what I thought we were talking
about <sigh>.

Re USB drives, with few exception, all I've seen so far have been
personally-owned ones like mine. If you're lucky enough to able to
get one for company use if you can prove you need one, that's great
for you and people in your company <g>. Still, at least my own is my
own, I suppose, and I get to take it with me.

Well, I guess portable apps are in the future and maybe MS will never
go that route. But it sure would be helpful if it could work as a
standalone. I've at this point come up with something that does the
job, but it took a lot of work to get it to this point. O2K would
have been much easier, for sure! :eek:D
 
B

Brian Tillman

StargateFan said:
I totally misunderstood what you were talking about, which is too bad.
So no portable Outlook _is_ available whether or not be can prove
they're needed for company use.
Click to expand...

Correct. There is no portable Outlook.
 
Top