Windows 7 on Flash Drives?

The hot net book phenomenon has brought to light for a problem that many of the people with zeal have been fighting for years. How can we upgrade the OS on computers that do not have optical drivers? This is nothing new for those who have been working without optical drives, but as the Windows 7 release draws near, those who have picked up a Windows XP-equipped netbook are wondering how they can easily upgrade to Win 7 when it’s released.

Hobbyists have long been performing OS upgrades using USB sticks. It’s not a difficult process but does require a certain amount of technical savvy. The most difficult part of the process is getting the OS upgrade, normally distributed via DVD/ CD, onto the USB memory stick in a format that can be used to boot the net book for the upgrade procedure.

Word is starting to appear that Microsoft is aware of the difficulty consumers face when it comes to upgrading net books and may be considering distributing Windows 7 on USB sticks. This would be a first for the Redmond folks, but it makes sense given the high sales numbers for netbooks. The best way to move OS upgrades for netbooks would definitely be on USB sticks. Microsoft would love nothing better than to get all of those netbooks running Windows XP upgraded to Windows 7.