Sure, LiveCDs are fun, but running applications on a flash usb memory stick is where its at.
MetaCarta Labs has assembled a collection of demos which can be run with no external dependancies. With a MetaCarta Labs USB stick, you simply insert the USB drive into the USB port, and double click the ‘run’ script for your platform to start up a local web server.
The web server is Python-based, and Python is included for Windows, where it is not typically installed by default.
Not a bad way to check out the new FeatureServer without having to install anything. Of course you’ll have to build it yourself, but that’s half the fun isn’t it? A preliminary download is available on the page.