Active Media Products Introduces Penguin Bootable Linux USB Drive

[btarunr]

Active Media Products (AMP), manufacturer of SSDs and WWF series USB drives, today announced immediate availability of a bootable Linux USB (BLU) drive that is compatible with Windows 7 and benefits WWF. These new penguin BLU drives are preloaded with the full installation of Ubuntu Linux 9.0.4.

BLU drives allow booting into Ubuntu Linux from the USB drive regardless of what operating system is installed on the hard drive. Because the hard drive will still be fully accessible when booting from the BLU drive, it's an excellent disaster recovery solution in the event of problems with the operating system on the primary hard drive, because important data files on the hard drive can be backed up onto the BLU drive or another USB storage device.



This BLU drive is designed in the likeness of an emperor penguin with exacting detail, and is made of non-toxic silicone rubber. This drive is completely free of PVC, lead and mercury. Every purchase of a penguin drive benefits World Wildlife Fund. Under its licensing agreement with WWF AMP develops and sells a series of portable USB flash drives in the likeness of endangered species, which now includes penguin, panda and polar bear drives, and contributes five percent of the retail price of this product line to WWF.

WWF Penguin BLU drives are offered in up to 16GB capacities. Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. The Ubuntu operating system occupies about 700MB of the drive, so there is still plenty of usable storage space for carrying photos, music and other data.



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[mtosev]

poor penguin. he killed himself by putting his head into the USB port.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

that looks really cute!!

 

[btarunr]

I wonder how the file system is structured. If that's a 16GB ext2/ext3 volume, it's useless for Windows users. If they did a ~2GB ext2 partition and the rest for FAT32, under windows, you'll assume its primary partition to be the drive (since it will have a lower drive letter), and you'll be prompted to format it (since Windows won't read ext2). You potentially lose your portable Ubuntu, which let them inflate their prices in the first place. The lower capacity models are useless anyway.

 

[Ammugonevil]

Now that is cool...a moment to geek out is needed.... ... .. ..... ..

 

[mdm-adph]

To me, it looks less like a penguin and more like that keyboard-playing alien from Star Wars, if it was only blue.

 

[Deleted member 3]

I'm guessing anyone who has a use for Linux on a USB stick can put it on the stick himself. Besides, the shape makes it block the USB port above/below it. I'd rather get a cheaper stick without any features.

 

[Ammugonevil]

I fail to see how a penguin can look like a Bimm...thats just zenophobia at its best...

 

[extrasalty]

This penguin looks fat and evil. Just like Microsoft.

 

[BroBQ]

Smack the pinguin

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mkos/pinguin.swf

 

[Bundy]

I'm guessing anyone who has a use for Linux on a USB stick can put it on the stick himself. Besides, the shape makes it block the USB port above/below it. I'd rather get a cheaper stick without any features.

totally agree, it's not that complicated to do.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

I wonder how the file system is structured. If that's a 16GB ext2/ext3 volume, it's useless for Windows users. If they did a ~2GB ext2 partition and the rest for FAT32, under windows, you'll assume its primary partition to be the drive (since it will have a lower drive letter), and you'll be prompted to format it (since Windows won't read ext2). You potentially lose your portable Ubuntu, which let them inflate their prices in the first place. The lower capacity models are useless anyway.

Well, the intent is to boot into the OS off the USB stick, so it would be in before your default OS loads. As such, Windows would not need access to the drive because Windows would never load in the first place.

If this is intended to be used after you boot your system, then it is possible the primary partition is NTFS. The linux NTFS read/write system matured nicely and I think it can be used as the partition type when you install it, but I am not sure about that one.

 

[Ammugonevil]

To be practical yes you would be right... but it still really cool...its just novelty...


You got to appreciate that ...

 

[t77snapshot]

Smack the pinguin

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mkos/pinguin.swf

320.5 ft

 

[Meecrob]

I wonder how the file system is structured. If that's a 16GB ext2/ext3 volume, it's useless for Windows users. If they did a ~2GB ext2 partition and the rest for FAT32, under windows, you'll assume its primary partition to be the drive (since it will have a lower drive letter), and you'll be prompted to format it (since Windows won't read ext2). You potentially lose your portable Ubuntu, which let them inflate their prices in the first place. The lower capacity models are useless anyway.

there are drivers out that let you access alot of linux file systems in windows.

but really, this is useless, as dippy and ford and others have pointed out in the chromos thread linux is to hard for anybody with less then a phd in computer sciences to make any real use of, guess this is a cute toy for uber geeks/nerds........

it is cute tho lol

 

[ArmoredCavalry]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh look at the penguin! Its so cuteee.... I mean, um, yeah, usb bootable Linux, cool.

Edit: This reminds me of when I was trying to tell my buddy about these penguins that live in the jungle, it was on the tv show "South Pacific". I googled it, and wikianswers was helpful as usual. Also, the google ad caused me to laugh continuously for about 5 minutes:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_penguins_live_in_the_jungle

 

[Bundy]

320.5 ft

323.3

 

[hat]

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/09-07-29/88c.jpg

rofl

 

[PCpraiser100]

Jeez Microsoft's gonna be pissed once they see these in their office xD

 

[BazookaJoe]

The seemingly incredibly poor quality of the actual plastic molding on this thing inflames my mockery gland, as does the general "-10 points from Griphondor" general penalty for shaping a USB drive like stupid s#!t.

But the real-world applicationality of it all actually makes this a pretty GOOD idea...

And I can imagine this being used by myself, and others, and that it would REALLY be a useful device to have around. And the pricing (a topic I'm forever crying about) is even reasonable.

I might even .. LIKE it...

I'm confused ;(

 

[Zubasa]

320.5 ft

321 ft LOL

 

[BazookaJoe]

321 ft LOL

I DEMAND to see a Punkbuster Certificate!

I cant get over 301 ...

 

[human_error]

And the pricing (a topic I'm forever crying about) is even reasonable.

Wait, so the 16gb drive here for $43 is a reasonable price, but the 32gb stick in a previous news post for $85 is unreasonable and there is a huge conspiracy keeping prices inflated for those sticks?

Now i'm confused...

OT this stick seems pointless - as others have stated you could get a normal standard shape usb stick and put your own live linux distro on it with little effort, other than the novelty of having an unreasonably large usb stick i don't see the appeal.

 

[Necrofire]

someone needs to let me know how you can fit a 9.04 install in 700MB.

 

[ValkyrieLeonardo]

kute