So I was browsing Futureshop for deals on boxing week, when I came across a 1GB Sandisk Cruzer Mini for only $20. Bobby Program From The Center For Applied Special Technology. I currently had a crummy no-name drive that I bought a year ago, so I decided it was time for an upgrade. I had been eyeing that sleek black design with a retractable USB connector, not to mention it was U3-enabled. The buzz around U3 and portable apps can be quite confusing, so I will try to help. After a full week of using my U3 Sandisk drive, I will try to lay out the good and the bad (sorry guys, no ugly.). Advantages: • Carry your favourite software with you.

How to Use a U3 Smart Flash Drive. Welcome to an entirely new generation of Mobility. Going beyond typical memory devices, U3 smart drives give you the power to take your favorite programs wherever you go. Now, in addition to storing. Mar 31, 2015. Some USB drives include U3 software that makes running software, backing up files, and storing media easy. For the rest of the jump drives that are void of the U3 software, you can follow simple instructions to make a regular USB drive into a U3 Smart Drive. The software is free to download and can be.

With U3 technology, you can install various IM clients, image editors, office applications such as: Trillian, Gimp, Skype, and ThinkFree Office. The cool thing is, these programs run solely off of your USB stick, so when you remove it, the programs leaves no trace. You can even install firefox, which brings me to my next point • Bring your Firefox with you.

I was looking at our blog stats and I noticed that 75% of readers use Firefox, so I thought this would be a real strong point to U3. Now you can install Firefox on your U3 smart drive, so you will never be caught on someone else’s computer without your bookmarks, handy extensions, and familiar interface. • Launch apps quickly. There are some portable apps that you can install onto regular flash drives, but sifting through your drive looking for the launch files can be troublesome.

When you plug a U3 drive into your computer, it automatically runs a “Launcher” program that allows you to launch your files easily. It looks similar to a start menu, and can be accessed by clicking on the U3 icon in your system tray, or the large red launch icon on the desktop. • Launch files and programs automatically. With a U3-enabled flash drive, you can set specific programs or files to launch automatically. If you are on a business trip, you can set it to open the document you are working on, every time you hook it up to a computer. This can really save time if you working in multiple sessions. • Password-protect your Smart drive.

If you have sensitive data on your U3 smart drive, you can assign a password, so that only you can access your data. The drive will then prompt you to enter the password every time you connect it to a computer. BLABLA Disadvantages: • Takes up space. One of the most overlooked disadvantage to U3 is the space that it uses. My 1gb Cruzer mini only has 850mb of actual space after installing a couple programs (Firefox, Skype, antivirus, etc.).