FingerGear puts out bootable computer-on-a-stick USB flash drive
By Barb Dybwad 
posted Jul 23rd 2005 4:33AM
posted Jul 23rd 2005 4:33AM
Yeah, you could certainly just buy a plain USB flash drive and install Knoppix or whatever on your own, but that never stops companies from commercializing what you can DIY. FingerGear is offering a Linux-based Computer-On-a-stick USB 2.0 Flash drive sporting a complete bootable operating system out of the box. It's running Linux 2.6.x with a Gnome GUI, and comes in capacities from 256MB up to 8GB. It also comes with OpenOffice and a bunch of other common desktop and internet utilities pre-installed (GAIM, Firefox, etc.). These are starting at $149 for the 256MB version.
God I need one of these to take with me, especially to school.
Why can't people learn to save money and read websites like Engadget or Cnet to spend about 10 minutes loading a copy of Knoppix on a $15 256 MB USB Flash Drive? Sometimes I wonder how people have all this money to waste....
Nice idea I guess for the company, but I agree with those stating you could do it for a lot cheaper on your own.
What I want is method to run a program off of a USB drive that needs to put a couple of drivers in the Windows system folder. (Runs fine from the thumb drive when the drivers are in place, but not without.)
"$149 for the 256MB" Is a nice 1000% markup for selling a "free" OS on a obsolete size flashdrive.
I personally use DSL, which not only runs on a flash drive, but also from a buisness card CD, and when your completely hooked, you can install it to a hard drive and run it off the computer. Even really old computers like a P200 will run this pretty decently. Also, because of its size on the CD, it's nice and easy to put into the wallet and pull out when i'm at the library. They always ask, "What is that?" and I just smile and say "The future."
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
cool idea.
steve jobs do it! make a stick like the ipod shuffle with tiger-intel-base that work on every pc.
Quote:
"...utilities pre-installed (GAIM, Firefox, etc.)"
At first I thought that said it came with GAIN preinstalled. I was thinking about not reading engadget anymore, you spyware mongers!
:)
cool idea.
steve jobs do it! make a stick like the ipod shuffle with tiger-intel-base that work on every pc.
Any publicly accessed PC that can be booted from USB or a disk drive has an idiot for a system administrator.
Can we please brainstorm a little on the possibilities of using this? That would be fun and harmless to do.
But, how much of an actual computer do you need in addition to say...a usb drive?
The worst thing I can come up with is to plug it into a computer and control or monitor it remotely. Scary.
The best thing would to have it connected to the barebones of a system
(is this necessary?), lan card, a keyboard, and an lcd monitor and
install over 1000 personal computers all over the world for a few $grand.
----
Thank you, Alexander, for posting hte link.
People are getting waayy too lazy. I agree with Mohit...I wish I had all that money to waste.
to #6 Alexander
You put DSL on a miniCD?!?!?!? Optical drives are SO~O slow, flash is deffinitly the way to go... I remember when 128 mb was for the rich lol, now I can hold 1 gig on something the size of a postage stamp for less money.
Wow, that is so stupid. People need to learn to use computers or companies like this will continue to rip them off. That is just absurd, $149 for a 256MB thing? Why bother when... nvm its already been said thousands of times. You can get a 2.2GB USB hard drive for $70 and put tons of stuff on it, not just the barebones that 256MB will get you. Or just burn a Knoppix CD, much more convenient as I'm not sure how many PCs can boot from USB (I'm not sure that my 3 year old PC can, although that is for lack of trying but anyhow). Slax is also worthy a look for those wanting to try a live linux CD because it can be easily expanded via modules that are supposed to be easy to add (I have yet to try it because when I first found slax there were no such modules to speak of)
If you're "1337" enough to want/have a use for one of these, you're probably also "1337" enough to do it yourself for much cheaper. 'nuff said.
Computer-On-a-stick ??? You must be kidding! It is maybe OS on a stick - as it lacks any computing power. You need to reboot the computer and boot it back from the USB stick (which means you need a supporting BIOS and you need a computer with an owner crazy enough to let you reboot it).
If this is not enough - what is the price for? The media sure doesn't worth this price and the software that comes with it is FREE!
Go to: http://os.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/07/08/1522251&from=rss and get yourself somthing like that for free.
the comparison to knoppix is not a valid one. you cannot write to the cd to save your data, thus, using knoppix, you are tied to a single pc. the computer-on-a-stick acts as your hard drive which you can take anywhere. also, to be sure, some but not all of the software used on the computer-on-a-stick is based on publicly available source code. it may seem trival to some linux programmers to compile and install certain software to fit on a 256mb flash drive but it is not. the most important features are the security login and the public/private partition features which are proprietary to fingergear. also, the device is intentionally configured to prevent access to the local drives of the host pc for additional security. later this year, fingergear will be launching a biometric version of the computer-on-a-stick. swipe your finger to boot from the device.
hello,
this is a response to the computer on a stick comments in
regard to how easy it is to install linux on flash.
actually, less than 1% of you out there have the technical capabilities
to make your system as secure and as fast. the optimization
using compression algorithms and other techniques and security
that we have used on this system has taken over
2 years of development time, so your dyi ten minute version
isn't a fair comparison to our system. you will not believe
how fast it is. we just performed a demo for some linux hackers
and they were amazed that it booted in less than 20 seconds.
michael
sir i want free software of mercury flash drive 128mb usb2
Maybe there is only 1% of us that are able to install Linux on a USB key, but there is also only 1% of us that really care about running a computer from that same key.
BTW, if the initial explanation (http://rz-obrian.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/knoppix-usb/) on how to install Knoppix on a USB key was to hard to follow, there is a very neat - free - product, MySlax Creator (http://myslax.bonsonno.org), that takes a SLAX-based payload (http://slax.linux-live.org/download.php) and installs it on your USB memory in few minutes. It works just fine... No Ph.D. needed.
It might be good because it's not as expensive as the blackdog Linux product. I think Fingergear has the smallest computer, that's why they're less expensive than some others out there. Just a thought...
I took a look at that Knoppix link on how to install the OS on a flash drive. There is no way I'm going to wade through that stuff. I am not a programmer. I'd rather buy the product and get the support if i need it. Also, the device has lots of stuff besides just the OS. Sure, if i had several hours to spend and LIKED learning about becoming a quasi-programmer, I might be inclined.....and what the heck is Slax? Is it related to the Sleestax from Land of the Lost?