Software Stuffs Personal PC In Flash Drive
Once that device is plugged into a host computer running Windows XP -- a public machine at an Internet caf, for example, or in a hotel's business center -- RingCube Technologies Inc.'s MojoPac software creates a personalized, secure environment.
RingCube is targeting on-the-move professionals, students, and families as it pitches the $49.95 MojoPac.
"Users can take their entire computing experience with them, without the hassle of carrying their actual computer," said Shan Appajodu, the chief executive of RingCube, in a statement.
MojoPac installs on the digital storage device -- RingCube recommends 1GB or more of storage space -- and users install other applications and copy data to the device. A list of applications that run under MojoPac and from an external device is available on the software's Web site; it includes such apps as IE, Firefox, Trillian, OpenOffice.org, Adobe Reader, and Quicken. But although volume licensed and academic editions of Microsoft Office will work with MojoPac, retail and other versions of the suite will not. (RingCube will add such support in the first update to MojoPac, to v. 1.1.)
Because no files or data is shared with the host PC, RingCube touted it as a secure, private solution to working on multi-user systems, such as those shared in a family or students.
A 30-day trial of MojoPac can be downloaded from RingCube's Web site. List prices for the software will be $49.95 for the first license and $24.99 for each additional license up to three. An introductory offer, however, has reduced those prices to $29.99 and $14.99, respectively.