Portable electronic key providing transportable personal computing environment

A portable personal configuration device connectable to a plurality of computing device, comprising:

• non-volatile memory;
• and
• an interface to a computing device;
• wherein said non-volatile memory contains a link to a website containing personalized computing environment data.

A computer system, comprising:

• a CPU;
• volatile memory coupled to said CPU;
• and
• a portable configuration device coupled to said CPU, said portable configuration device comprising non-volatile memory, wherein said non-volatile memory contains a user's personalized computing environment data.

A computer system, comprising:

• a CPU;
• volatile memory coupled to said CPU;
• and
• portable configuration device coupled to said CPU, said portable configuration device comprising non-volatile memory, wherein said non-volatile memory contains a link to a website containing personalized computing environment data.

A method of transporting a user's computing environment from one computer to another computer, comprising:

• (a) copying, from one computer, computing environment data to non-volatile, solid state memory contained in a portable device;
• (b) decoupling the portable device from the computer in (a);
• (c) coupling the portable device to another computer;
• and
• (d) copying the computing environment data from the portable device's solid state memory to the computer in (c).

A method of transporting a user's computing environment from one computer to another computer, comprising:

• (a) coupling a portable electronic device to a computer;
• (b) accessing a website using website location information stored in said portable electronic device;
• and
• (c) copying computing environment data from the website to the computer.

A computer system, comprising:

• a CPU;
• a display coupled to said CPU;
• an input control device coupled to said CPU;
• and
• a portable storage device coupled to said CPU, said portable storage device containing solid state memory in which configuration data pertaining to a user of said computer system is stored, and said portable storage device capable of being coupled to a CPU of a different computer system to install the configuration data in said different computer system.

A portable personal configuration device connectable to a plurality of computing devices, comprising:

• non-volatile memory;
• and
• an interface to a computing device;
• wherein said non-volatile memory contains a digital coupon which provides a discount to a user of said portable personal configuration when making an on-line purchase.