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Microsoft To Offer Windows 7 On USB Thumb Drives?

Posted by timothy on from the please-send-me-your-repurposable-drives dept.

Barence writes "Microsoft is reportedly considering offering Windows 7 on USB thumb drives to allow netbook owners to upgrade their machines. Windows has, until now, only been distributed on DVDs or via download. However, netbooks don't have optical drives and the Windows 7 ISO weighs in at 2.3GB, which would take several hours to download on an average broadband connection and potentially do serious damage to a customer's broadband data cap."

5 of 259 comments (clear)

  1. It's Amazing by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's amazing what kind of viruses you find on USB sticks these days!

    And Microsoft chases OLPC once again.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:It's Amazing by cawpin · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, you get a fully functional system off the CD, perhaps minus some oddball drivers. It is no less than Windows. Net access is not required for the install.

  2. Somebody is thinking at Microsoft? by bignetbuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who hired them and how long do you think they will last at Microsoft? hohoho

    Ok, being serious. It makes sense. With Time Warner slapping draconian download caps on those poor people in Texas, a USB flash drive for OS distribution in a growing netbook market shows some...slight...thinking ahead of the curve. Can you imagine the ire of not only having to download a 3.5GB OS onto a netbook but if you actually run over your cap and get charged EXTRA for it? Oh man. I would shoot my netbook.

    Kudos to whomever pulled this rabbit out of the hat.

  3. Re:Idiots. by computerman413 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Whoever installs Windows 7 on a goddamn computer is a dumb, dumb motherfucker.

    There, I fixed it for you.

  4. If they were really on the ball by stox · · Score: 5, Funny

    They would offer Windows 7 in a convenient suppository.

    --
    "To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "