Every once in a while I need to step away from my basic how-to world an express my inner techno geek. Or, more correctly, express my admiration for those true technowizards who create some of the stuff that I run across and end up using. The admiration is even higher when the product they produce is free!

First, it was Linux.

Not long ago, I found a version of Linux that I actually like to use. It is called Ubuntu and it now resides on my 400 GB hard drive along with Vista. I have the choice of starting my PC with either one, and increasingly use Ubuntu. Ubuntu is free and more information on it can be found at www.ubuntu.org. There are lots of equally free programs, er, "applications" that do almost anything you need.

Then it was Linux on a CD.

Having been smitten with the Linux bug, I also discovered that those who do not wish to install a new operating system can also temporarily use one by starting their PC with something called a "live CD distro" This is a version ("distribution" in Linux-speak) that works entirely by accessing the CD and using temporary computer memory areas to run the operating system AND many key software programs. These are fun, but a little slow due to the mechanics of the CD drive having to spin and be accessed often. Many also offer the option to install the OS, while others such as Dynebolic, are strictly "live CDs." Distrowatch.com is a good place to see the latest of these. See my article on Puppy Linux for more fun!

Then it was Linux on a Thumb Drive.

But for some time I have also been reading about schemes to run a whole Linux OS and applications from a simple thumb drive. Naturally, this requires a PC that allows an option to start ("boot") from such a device. This feature is often turned on in the setup menu that briefly makes itself available before your real operating system starts to load. Usually you have to quickly press a key such as F12 in order to invoke it. This is not hard, but is not for those who are scared of computers.

The problem is that all the plans to transfer files and set up the thumb drive were beyond my level of competence. Either that or they left out a step somewhere, or simply could not explain the process for all to grasp. This happens. So, on more than one occasion, I had supposedly set up a thumb drive and discovered that nothing worked.

Therefore I was a bit skeptical when I heard that the "All In One Pendrivelinux 2008" would not only boot from a thumb drive (ignoring the hard drive operating system), but it could also be invoked while running Windows XP (not Vista) and run as an operating system within an operating system!

What was even better was that the whole thing was available as a single compressed (zipped) file that could be downloaded and placed on an ordinary 1 GB thumb drive.  Once copied, all you have to do is click on one file called MAKEBOOT to make the USB thumb drive bootable!

And the darn thing works - both ways - as promised. I'm using it right now to write this web page. It's not WYSIWYG, but it does have a spell checker! I've also surfed the net, checked my mail, and tried several of the applications that come with the system. And the funny thing is that it is fast, running directly from my Sandisk Cruser USB 2.0 thumb drive!

The only caveat is that you should not open the mounted thumb drive and mess with the files (copy, paste, delete, etc.) directly while the OS is running. It's OK to save files to the drive from within the running system though! Opening up the running system while it is operating might corrupt some files.

Let's Get Small.

Now, of course, I want to really get further into techo world and speculate on how SMALL a PC could be made using this setup. There is no hard drive needed, and a DVD can be omitted in favor of the extra space on the thumb drive - or on a separate one. How small is the smallest motherboard out there and is there one that uses an external power supply (a "wall wart") as does the Mac Mini? Would using a nice old cigar box look cool? How about fitting inside the case of my ancient Timex-Sinclair 1000? Oh no, the inner geek is taking over. Time to return to the real world. 

But Not So Fast....

No sooner do I dream of a tiny little PC that runs off a pendrive, then I  find this:

More info on this OS is found at www.pendrivelinux.com