Comments on: Microsoft may ship Windows 7 on thumb drives for netbook users

By: Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ « MAU GUE

Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ « MAU GUE — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:55:45 +0000

[...] is yet unclear how Microsoft plans to deliver the update to machines without an optical drive. The latest speculation on the matter suggests that Microsoft is considering selling Windows 7 on a USB drive. [...]

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:21:11 +0000

On the front cover, they could say “Rip off this sticky'd stick!”

But seriously, they probably wouldn't lose any more sticky sticks than they do CDs. Also, there would be articles in the magazine that would give important information about the OS(s) in question.

I think you're being pretty prescient here… too bad we can't get rich from this prior knowledge.

By: Mikez

Mikez — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:41:53 +0000

I was guessing when I wrote “$20″ – but that seems like a common price.
Now all we need is to learn what popular magazines O.R. is reading. . .
Get them to run a “Linux of the Month” promotion with the little 6 gram
sticks sticky'd inside each issue – minimum order: 2 million sticks.

By: Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ

Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:12:21 +0000

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:09:54 +0000

I agree with rampage and Nam and plan to go the Unetbootin route myself, but for those who would rather fork over $20 than bother with "cook book" procedures, _this outfit_ is an example of sites which offer OSs already loaded on USB flash drives.

They were on page two of the google search I posted above and offer at least 15 Linux versions, including one Ubuntu with swappable KDE and Gnome already installed. They ship anywhere in the world.

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:21:11 +0000

On the front cover, they could say “Rip off this sticky'd stick!”

But seriously, they probably wouldn't lose any more sticky sticks than they do CDs.
I think you're being pretty prescient here… too bad we can't get rich from this prior knowledge.

By: Mikez

Mikez — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:41:53 +0000

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:09:54 +0000

I agree with rampage and Nam and plan to go the Unetbootin route myself, but for those who would rather fork over $20 than bother with “cook book” procedures,

They were on page two of the google search I posted above and offer at least 15 Linux versions, including one Ubuntu with swappable KDE and Gnome already installed. They ship anywhere in the world.

By: Nam

Nam — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:13:58 +0000

This is the best idea ever. Ever since Vista's release, I have been booting and installing Windows using USB stick. It is the most convenient way and cost effective. I have a 8GB Sandisk USB (pictured above) with Vista X86 and X64 + Win 7 RC1. Just swap the files to root whenever I needed.

I dont think it will be wasted if Microsoft ships a 8 gb flash drive with 3 GB reserve for installation files and the remaining can be used by user.

By: TL

TL — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:12:42 +0000

I agree.

I am a linux-on-the-desktop user of 6 years now, as well as running numerous linux-based servers, yet when I want to get a task done, I find it hard to figure out what app I need to really do it. The quirky names in most of the OSS world are really a major downfall.

By: rampage jackson

rampage jackson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:50:05 +0000

Im not a geek but know how to get around a computer and know how to follow instructions.
I discovered Unetbootin which shows you how to put any Linux distro on a USB key from both a Windows or Linux system.
Again, you have to be able to follow instructions, that's all.

I installed Kubuntu 9.04 on my Dell Mini because I hated the fugly look of Ubuntu (more specifically the Gnome desktop which apes Mac). It looks like an ugly 90's Windows with all the taskbar annoyances of Apple.

I bought the 2Gb usb key for 6.99$, the distros are free as is Unetbootin.
It was low risk.

Google it.

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:50:42 +0000

Here's around a half-dozen different bootable Linux OSs on USB flash drives for ~ $10-$15 turned up by a simple google "product search" (obtained by clicking on their little brown bag icon).

These are mostly at eBay, but, as I mentioned last week in the liliputng forum, I think I've seen some actual Linux sites several months ago that offer various distros on thumb drives for modest prices. I'll look through my faves (more difficult than searching the web) and get back if I find some.

By: DG

DG — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:35:17 +0000

Quite an inspired possibility, and with gig-class sticks going for only a couple of quid (galling when I paid £60 for mine not so many years ago!) hopefully they'll be sensible and realise they are reaching out to an otherwise unattainable market and NOT charge a premium.

By: Microsoft may ship Windows 7 on thumb drives for netbook users | All about windows 7

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:31:27 +0000

[...] the rest here: Microsoft may ship Windows 7 on thumb drives for netbook users This entry was posted by admin and posted on June 26, 2009 at 12:38 pm and filed under Windows 7, [...]

By: Mikez

Mikez — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:20:03 +0000

With maybe four or five of the major GUIs to try out (KDE, GNOME, XFCE, +++) ;
Use the iso-9660 format on the usb sticks, because it supports mult-arch - -
(one stick, boots Intel, PPC, ARM, MIPS, etc)

- - - -

The really big thing would be a *good* "librarian" application - -
rather than face the user with a long list of application names, include
good: "what you use this for" and "what other things on here do similar"
plus, of course, topic and subject indexes.

$20 (retail) + price of the stick (yeah, we could do that) - -
Bulk orders accepted - there are sticks thin enough to sticky inside
of a magazine - -
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchT...