With the release of Windows 10 just over a month away, a report on German site WinFuture claims Microsoft is planning to sell USB flash drive versions of its latest OS alongside the classic DVD format. The report says that both the Home and Professional versions of Windows 10 will be made available, offering 32-bit and 64-bit install options, and each USB stick will allow for the operating system to be installed and licensed for use on one PC.
These flash drive versions will reportedly be more expensive than their DVD/digital counterparts. Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows 10 Home will be priced at $119.99 and Windows 10 Professional will go for $199.99. If this latest leak is to be believed, in their USB versions the Home edition sees a $25 increase while the Professional edition will cost an extra $38.
Those who already own a Windows 7 or 8.1 system can get a free upgrade to Windows 10 for up to a year after it launches on July 29. If you are among the many taking Microsoft up on its offer via Windows Update, but would still appreciate a flash-based copy for fresh installs, there's always the option of creating a bootable USB drive within the operating system itself.
With an ever increasing number of PCs abandoning optical drives altogether it makes sense to have a flash-based variant as an option alongside digital downloads. It's fast, they're easy to carry around, and unlike with DVDs you get both 32- and 64-bit versions of the OS in a single place.