With Windows 7 pre-orders on sale today, CNET is reporting that Microsoft is considering selling Windows 7 on flash drives to help make installation on netbooks easier, and it’s reportedly one of several incentives the company may offer to users without CD/DVD drives. While no official announcement has been made, we’re wondering if you’d take a pre-loaded, presumably protected USB stick over a disc for your next upgrade. Share your reasons or rejections in the comments. [via Gizmodo; photo via bfishadow]
Curtis
June 27, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Wait, I mean seriously, if you don’t have CD/DVD drives your computer must be seriously old, what makes them think that they will have the newer USB ports as well?
Report PermalinkAaron
June 28, 2009 at 11:52 AM
It is for the netbook, Microsoft has claimed that windows 7 should work fine on netbooks.
Snice virtually all netbooks have no optical drive for a cd or dvd and not everyone has an external optical drive. Then installing it through a usb flash drive would be a good idea.
Report PermalinkKevin
June 27, 2009 at 8:53 PM
I would love to be able to purchase an OS able to install from a USB flash drive!
Report Permalinkbaddspella
June 27, 2009 at 9:02 PM
these things are a bitch to find, even with in the neatest ad most organised desk.
dvds are all stacked together, hard to miss&loose.
+ not all bios’s yet suport usb. 90% do. but not 100.
but it owuld make the insilaiton quicker. and it would mean that macbook air owners could install a decent os lol.
+ what if you accedently press detete (wile holding shift) on the Windows_Seven_Setup.exe ?
Report Permalinkok so that last ones never going to happen but
id prefer a DVD
Dean
June 28, 2009 at 8:33 AM
mate, all you need is a box to store your usb’s in. clue up ;)
Report Permalinkkrzystoff
June 27, 2009 at 10:28 PM
seems sensible, (aside from the small risk of viral infection) — does that mean Win7 would work as a live install, like Linux, and you could boot it up BEFORE installing it to your primary SSD ?!?
Report Permalinkif so, that would be a very slick step forwards!!
Stephen Ridgway
June 28, 2009 at 9:57 AM
It’s a good idea, but are we not addicted to CD ROM ownership?
Report PermalinkJustin
June 28, 2009 at 2:46 PM
@Stephen Ridgway: I think digital distribution ie Steam and the ability to download movies from the internet legally has really shown people that CDs & DVDs are just things you can lose and get scratched.
Bring on the age of no more distribution via physical media
Report PermalinkSarun Gajaseni
June 28, 2009 at 11:17 AM
i think their purpose of using USBs for windows7 installation is for older computers which doesn’t have a CD drive right? but if these computers are so old, then i don’t even think installation is possible because the specs of these computers will be so low that they can’t support windows7
Report PermalinkJulian Williams
June 28, 2009 at 2:14 PM
I think some of you need to clue up as Dean said. The main purpose of USBs for the installation is far from old computers, that would be stupid, it is for NETBOOK computer (you know the very light laptops WITHOUT DVD Drives) installs.
Report PermalinkPersonally, I think the USB drive option is a great idea, but should still be available on DVD as well.
It also should be ROM though, to prevent viral infection or accidental deletion as previously mentioned, as USBs are so cheap these days, I don’t see why this would be a problem.
Charles
June 28, 2009 at 9:00 PM
I have a netbook and the way I install software is by either a USB key or alternatively I have assigned a DVD drive on another of my home computers as a shared drive. The netbook is great – an A5 size with a 10 inch screen and weighs under a Kg with a good battery life. I won’t go back to a desktop or even normal laptop in a hurry. I say that Microsoft has finally on the right track
Report PermalinkMr Ling
June 29, 2009 at 3:22 PM
I’ve already seen Office 2007 on the shelves with both a DVD and USB in the packet.
It’s the student edition of office, but has a sticker suggesting that it’s a ‘netbook edition’ as well.
I don’t mind either format. I have an external DVD for my netbook, but install some download bits via USB as well. At least you know you can’t scratch a USB stick!
Report PermalinkWillem Tay
June 29, 2009 at 10:09 PM
The only time I ever use my CD drive these days is to reinstall an operating system. I think its a great idea and I would prefer it if I could load windows from a USB stick.
It would save the the 30 seconds of fumbling before I remember where they put that pesky CD drive.
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