Word is that Windows 10 on USB flash drives could be $25 more expensive than the traditional DVD disc

Jun 25, 2015 12:26 GMT  ·  By

With Windows 10, Microsoft is planning to bring its operating system on no less than 1 billion devices by 2017, so every single decision the company for the project could have an impact on this ambitious goal.

For example, once of the changes Redmond is planning to make when Windows 10 becomes available late next month is to release it on USB flash drives too, thus offering another option in addition to the traditional DVD disc that has been around for years.

Basically, if your computer or laptop does not have an optical drive, which is very likely if you have a new model (manufacturers do that to make their devices as thin as possible and to use bigger batteries), you can purchase Windows 10 USB flash drive and still be able to deploy the new operating system just like before. What’s more, it should be faster and more secure because the risk of scratches, which usually damage our DVDs over time, no longer exists.

But according to some rumors that reached the web lately, Microsoft might be charging more for these USB flash drives, with some sources claiming that this version could be $25 more expensive than the traditional DVD disc.

Production costs? What production costs?

So why is Microsoft planning to make the Windows 10 USB flash drive more expensive than the DVD disc? The first answer that comes into one’s mind is the production.

Basically, a USB drive is more expensive than a DVD disc, but since prices have dropped significantly in the last few years, such a reason no longer makes sense.

A simple search on Amazon proves it:

Kingston Digital 8GB 100 G3 USB 3.0 DataTraveler - $4.95 8 GB Flash Drive USB 2.0 Memory Stick Pen (Blue 8g) - $2.15 8GB New USB 2.0 Flash Pen Drive Memory Stick (Black) - $2.77

Needless to say, these are prices for regular buyers like us, but if a company like Microsoft signs an agreement with Kingston or any other company selling 8 GB USB flash drives to purchase millions of such sticks, the price could drop even more.

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Current price of an 8GB Flash stick manufactured and sold by Kingston.

If you think that more advanced USB Flash drives are needed, with enhanced security to make sure that files aren’t removed, damaged, or corrupt, that’s not the case either. Such sticks are also pretty affordable, so it’s hard to believe that a $25 additional fee would make sense. Recent evidence have shown that a $5 extra charge could be possible and somehow this isn’t so odd because costs with the USB stick would be included in the final price.

European pricing? Maybe…

If we were to guess, we’d say that the leak that reached the web recently and which pointed to a $25 additional fee for Windows 10 USB Flash drive comes from European markets, where more taxes need to be paid by companies selling products here.

We already know that Windows 10 will be a little bit more expensive in Europe because of the VAT, with pricing to obviously vary by market, so maybe the $25 extra fee could actually come from such a market.

Otherwise, if Microsoft simply wants to make Windows 10 on USB Flash drives more expensive just because, the company isn’t playing it fair. USB drives running Windows 10 should have at least the same price, not to mention that they should become the main way to purchase the new operating system, in addition to digital downloads.

More and more modern devices come without an optical drive these days and a USB flash drive is much easier to carry around, so it’s no wonder that many people are actually interested in this version.

So in case Microsoft does decide to charge more for this version, don’t be too surprised if many people actually buy Windows 10 online and then create their very own USB flash drives without paying a single cent.

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Windows 10 will also ship via USB flash drives
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