Desktop Anywhere, Without The Hardware

Several years ago, business took this high-tech traveler to the Sun Microsystems headquarters. After an interesting discussion in the break room, the Sun employee demonstrated the power of their technology. He walked up to a community workstation and swiped his card in a reader sitting adjacent to the monitor. He then smiled broadly as his desktop popped up with the reminder of our meeting still sitting front and center. Even a few years ago, it was easy to see how powerful this type of technology could be within large enterprises. Now the concept is gaining momentum and it's certainly on the way to mainstream.

Hot Topic: Anywhere Computing

Google and Sun's announcement to collaborate on distribution and development of Java, OpenOffice and the Google toolbar has many industry experts speculating about the future of anywhere computing. Google and Sun leaders aren't making promises at this point, but a successful partnership between these two Microsoft competitors could catapult us into a new computing era where all it takes is an internet connection and a Google ID to access your virtual desktop.

In the meantime, the concept of taking your personal workspace along without lugging the laptop is becoming a reality in the hardware world. U3, a joint venture between M-Systems and SanDisk, was founded in 2004 to encourage the development of smart USB drives. These drives carry a lot more than just data -- they also pack your files, folders, preferences, plug-ins, settings, and everything else you need to plug into any PC and feel like you're operating from your own PC. Since the applications actually run on the USB drive, there's no installation necessary and no trace of the work is left behind when the smart USB is removed.

If U3's early days are any indicator, smart USB is on the right track. In September, U3's CEO Kate Purmal (a palmOne founder) announced that drives from 7 vendors should hit the shelves in October. Software vendors such as AOL, Skype, and The Mozilla Foundation are already developing portable versions for U3 drives. The company is also reportedly in talks with Microsoft.

Gadget Guide: U3 USB Drives

Want to be one of the first to use U3? Check out the smart drive providers on U3's web site .

Tech Saver: Faster Startup

What gets you more excited about anywhere computing -- losing the weight in your travel bag or eliminating the wait for your laptop to startup? If you're constantly finding yourself frustrated with the slow startup time of your laptop, consider these ideas:

• Don't shut your laptop all the way off between meetings; just put it in the low-battery consumption "Standby" mode.
• Eliminate unnecessary programs from your computer's Start Up folder. In Windows XP, open Windows Explorer, then expand Documents and Settings --> Your User Account --> Start Menu --> Programs --> Start Up. Make sure the only shortcuts in that folder are for the programs you want to automatically launch along with Windows.
• To stop programs from running at startup, click the Start menu, choose Run and type "msconfig" to launch the System Configuration Utility. On the "General" tab click "Selective Startup". Then go to the "Startup" tab and uncheck any startup items that aren't necessary. Note that Microsoft strongly advises against taking this action unless you're absolutely certain that the program is unnecessary at startup.