The swansong of the CD
Cnet has posted that Microsoft is considering a USB drive option for the release of Windows 7 so that those of you with netbooks can easily load the new OS. A slick idea in my opinion if only for the uniqueness in the market place but this poses a question of media change.
Is the market ready for the disappearance of the disc? CD’s are gradually being replaced in the music world by the MP3 and its player of choice, the iPod. In the data world you’re seeing a gradual move to the DVD due to higher storage capacity but still a disc, nonetheless.
Microsoft moving what was once on 25 floppy discs, turned 3 CD’s, turned 1 DVD to a USB drive might, in fact, shift the market… or it could blow up in their faces ala Betamax. Early adopters will be all over this without a doubt but the salty old creatures of habit? I’ll let Microsoft and their marketers make this call.
In effort not to be the nay-sayer, I offer an alternative. Make this an upgrade available online. Automate the update process and let it run from there in a one-click user interface. Enter your credit card info, click upgrade, and let her cook. Finding a way to make that work well would save millions in product cost.
Thoughts?
