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“Would You Like Your Windows 8 On Desktop Or ‘To Go’?” — Windows 8 Will Have Portable Option


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You Will Be Able To Carry Around Windows 8 On A Thumb Drive

There was a time when the legendary DOS (Disk Operating System) ran off removable media. Then Windows happened we needed several such media to just install it, forget running it off one. And then thumb drives became big enough for hackers to make portable versions out of Windows. But then all of that was yesterday. That is history now. Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will have a feature called “Windows To Go”, which will allow you to carry your world around on a thumb drive.

The Windows To Go feature is helpful for IT professionals who can now give portable systems to the workers they are in charge of assisting. It will fit on a small portable USB drive and will contain the exact settings and preferences that they users is accustomed to. Essentially, the Windows To Go feature takes a Windows 8 install and copies an image of it on to the thumb drive. This image can then boot on any machine capable of running Windows 7 or Windows 8.

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Windows 8 Portable Workspace Creation Screen

This news was part of a session during the ongoing BUILD conference going on Anaheim California. However, the session has not made it clear whether this feature is part of the general package or is an enterprise feature. it is also unclear whether using this would require an extra fee to make it available. Ever since the inception of Windows, there has never been a portable version even though it has been technically quite possible (as mentioned above) for a long time now. One more question to add to our tally of unanswered questions regarding Windows 8. But then they have to save some excitement for the official launch

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  • Joe

    Yes! Microsoft is finally lettings us do what we’ve always dreamed of :)

    • http://twitter.com/3vi1_Jay Jesse Litton

      Use the media we legally bought without being encumbered by DRM?  No?  Uhhh…. change motherboards without being told we’re filthy pirates that need to re-authenticate?  No?  Uhhhhhhh…. see all the source code to the system so that when there’s a problem I can actually submit a patch instead of bitching?!?!  No?  Hmmmm

    • kdslfaf

      If you always dreamed about why didn’t you just use linux? 

  • Iiiiii

    this is ridiculous, Linux has this feature for years. Windows is a piece of shit 

    • Guest

      Windows OS’s are for Corporate/Home America.  Try shoving Linux on most users, especially home users.  Not everyone is a super geek! 

      • Dakota985

        you dont have to be a geek to use linux

        • Bukinnear

          Yes, but you have to be a (super) geek to get it’s best features out of it

          • http://kittyanarchy.net dual?moon

            You have to be a (super) geek to get Windows’ “best” features out of Windows too.

    • Neutrino78x

      exactly Iiiiii I completely agree!!! Pretty much all of the “free software” OSs have “live disc” versions where you can boot them off a single CD, and also where you can run them off a flash drive. That’s what happens when you write a modular OS with very little bloat. :-) Silly Microsoft considers it an “advanced feature” to set up something that is very basic with other OSs. ;-)

    • Neutrino78x

      Plus the free software OSs will run on much older hardware. Although FreeBSD is now saying they require a 486, Linux will still support a 386. :)

      • http://www.facebook.com/ElTimablo Timothy John Keighley Robertso

        Not true. Linux supports the i386 instruction set, but good luck actually getting it to run on a real live 386.

        • Bobby

          You forgot to put the troll face.

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