Portable Apps for Windows and Mac have been around for a long time, but are less common in the Linux world. Due to the complexity of Linux dependencies, and the different way different distributions locate these dependencies, the portable Linux application long seemed like a pipe dream. Until now.

Wine allows users to run Windows programs natively under Linux without paying a dime. However, there's a tiny problem: programs running in Wine don't look so great.

If you want to put a boatload of useful open source applications on a computer or, as I do, on a pocket USB drive so that you can have them with you at all times, there are now some very fast ways to do this. MacLibre is a great way to get tons of good free, open source apps in one download for Mac users.

There are many options for running Windows programs on the Mac. Boot Camp, for instance is included with OS X for installing Windows on a separate partition. Parallels VMware and Sun offer virtualization software that let you run your Windows programs without logging out of OS X. And then there's Wine.

Virtualisation software such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion let Mac users run the Windows operating system and Windows-only programs on a Mac, but the install process is complex and time-consuming, and the programs can slow down even a speedy Mac.

Portable Ubuntu is a Free application Software for Windows, runs an entire Linux operating system
as a Windows application. It is superb, and it is portable application , so you can carry it on your thumb drive. You can run Linux applications on your Windows desktop, Portable Ubuntu is a stand-alone package.

I came across this unique website called portableapps.com which has a collection of many Open Source and GPLed software which I use on a daily basis.

Jeremy White, co-founder and CEO of CodeWeavers, talked to Microsoft Subnet today about how Wine might make IT professionals a lot merrier. For those wanting to save money on desktops by using Linux, but feel trapped into Windows because of the need to run Windows apps, Wine can help.

Open source software has a lot to offer the business world. Aside from the fact that they’re generally free, many open source programs are more secure, reliable and customizable than their proprietary counterparts. In fact, many large companies, including big names like Amazon, Google, and Yahoo, run their servers with Linux rather than Windows.