Microsoft working up StartKey Windows companion

If you'll recall, Microsoft announced that it was teaming up with SanDisk last May to conjure up a suitable U3 replacement. Not quite a year later, we're starting to hear the first whispers of what that replacement may be. Purportedly dubbed StartKey, the so-called Windows companion would essentially allow users to "carry their Windows and Windows Live settings with them" on any sort of flash memory device -- be it a USB drive, SD card, etc. Interestingly, it's also being reported that Redmond would like to "build an end-to-end StartKey environment," but aside from the tidbit that it should be out in at least beta form by the year's end, pretty much everything else remains murky.

[Via ArsTechnica, image courtesy of Tom's Hardware]

[superfresh @ Mar 5th 2008 1:36PM]

Photoshop

[Michael @ Mar 5th 2008 1:41PM]

Oh really? I thought that was Bill Gates' personal StartKey someone just happened to have a picture of. Thanks for clearing this up for everyone!

[av8or @ Mar 5th 2008 2:22PM]

ima chagin mah lazah!!!


shoop da whoop!

[Hax Or @ Mar 5th 2008 2:42PM]

First to call photoshop; that's a win my friend.

Don't let them convince you otherwise. To do so would be an epic fail.

[Shrwa @ Mar 5th 2008 8:13PM]

I believe you meant "failure"

[Matt Brydon @ Mar 5th 2008 1:36PM]

i look forward to this sounds like a really good idea, can finally bring my programmed shortcuts everywhere i go! how long before someone hacks it to allow windowblinds themes too? then i'd really be on board, nothing annoyes me more than a desktop that looks like a childs colouring book

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 4:54PM]

Reminds me of the 'Home' option Apple was thinking of adding to iPods a few years back.

It would let you sync all your contacts, bookmarks and applications to the iPod so no matter where you were you could just plug your iPod into a Mac and have all your settings and apps with you.

Pretty cool that Windows is adding something like this with a StartKey. Hopefully Apple will finally put out this option for the iPod.

[Brodie @ Mar 5th 2008 1:37PM]

Just by looking at that image I thought the article was going to be that Microsoft would start requiring a hardware key to authenticate Windows to prevent piracy and threw up in my mouth a little bit.

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 5th 2008 1:52PM]

WOAH!

Don't let bill see this! It would be in boxes by tomorrow!

[Rob @ Mar 5th 2008 2:03PM]

You better believe it that's what Billy is going for. A dongle. However, these things are a joke because there are plenty of programs out there requiring a dongle, and the hackers keep on figuring out ways to bypass it.

[atrain @ Mar 5th 2008 2:11PM]

Heh, they had that back with commodore 64's.
My word processor app had a "security chip" so that you could copy the floppy all you liked, but the app would only run if the chip was present.

Problem with using it today is
1) We can already emulate BIOS etc, it shouldn't be too hard to mess with this, too.
2) laptop users would hate it. (Think:MBA. Install Vista, loose your only usb port :S)

[Drewe @ Mar 5th 2008 2:33PM]

Yep - it will be the licence key too, like the old 'dongle' concept.

No key, no boot.

Pity when the freakin things break.

[ScooterDe @ Mar 5th 2008 4:05PM]

yup, 'cept it will be a mini firewire key giving you access to (anybody else's) windows machine.

[Chebwa @ Mar 5th 2008 1:37PM]

It would be amazing if you could boot off of a key that looked like that and run your copy of Windows wherever you want. Aesthetically pleasing!

[superfresh @ Mar 5th 2008 1:42PM]

I agree. Combo it with that new Buffalo TB drive. Boot Windows off the stick and easily carry around ALL your data. Good times, good times.

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 1:52PM]

I think that's what they're getting at. Though, I don't understand why you'd have to keep your settings on a memory stick when they could be downloaded in seconds. If security is a concern, why not focus more on biometric inputs?

[Kurian @ Mar 5th 2008 2:22PM]

So install Windows on your standard usb drive.
If you arent technically inclined enough to get a regular Windows installation on a usb drive, then use BartPE and install explorer and all the other missing things so that its as good as a desktop installation.

[Chebwa @ Mar 5th 2008 3:33PM]

@Kurian:

I am talking a fully functional and completet XP install on a USB drive. As if I am simply transferring a hard drive into another PC. Sure the hardware installation would take a bit when you first booted up, but after you had a few PCs worth of drivers on there it'd be smooth sailing.

Right now, with the methods you described, it's simply more effort than it is worth. An official solution from Microsoft would be welcome.

[dansus @ Mar 5th 2008 10:04PM]

Yeah, i wouldnt be surprised if we see a day where pc's are just hardware and you plug in your key into any machine and go as if it were your home\work pc.

You just have a standardized driver interface or repository which you can update from. The hardware would run any OS with your settings of course and a bios based OS for hardware accesss.

Its quite simple and doesnt really break any current revenue models.

[Sirius @ Mar 6th 2008 5:42AM]

Honestly they should sort out how to do the "Windows Easy Transfer" thing properly before they even try anything of this magnitude..

[superfresh @ Mar 5th 2008 1:43PM]

Photoshop comedy.

[superfresh @ Mar 5th 2008 1:46PM]

Sorry. Reply to Michael.

[Homeboy @ Mar 5th 2008 1:45PM]

Vista is already troubled with bugs and performance issues, which make me wonder how MS will be able to get something like this working flawlessly. Not only will it require one hefty USB memory but also the USB medium will completely drain CPU power.

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 1:56PM]

From what I can tell, they're planning on having one OS native to the PC, and your settings/files/whatever will be stored on the flash key. It's like a virtual console setup.

[Mike @ Mar 5th 2008 1:54PM]

I currently use a 4gig Cruzer with U3 and would welcome a more robust Portable Apps plateform.

With flash drives getting bigger and bigger it would be fantastic if more applications were compatible with this setup. I use mine to run Thunderbird and Firefox while at work so I don't clutter up a computer I don't own with email, and bookmarks.

[Kevin @ Mar 5th 2008 1:56PM]

Aaaaaaaawesome! I was looking for more $hit to carry around and possibly lose! A USB flash drive with all my Live (right, cuz I use Live) settings would be perfect. Thx, Bill!

[Jeffrey Kuehnhoff @ Mar 5th 2008 1:58PM]

Hmm...seems like Microsoft could use such a device to thwart OS pirating. A USB "key" could be required for Windows to run. It's certainly been done with other hardware/software combinations. I'm certainly not suggesting I'd like to see this happen, but it sure seems like a logical next step.

[FrankTheCrank @ Mar 5th 2008 2:10PM]

Microsoft can you please hire me?

I can drum up some stupid shit and suck down several million dollars in development costs on a project that will never go anywhere like this one.

My resume has been forwarded.

[root.alt @ Mar 5th 2008 2:23PM]

snorealicious

[Sal @ Mar 5th 2008 2:23PM]

this isnt news...you can do this now. There are, and you can make a bootable, live windows CD. Just make a bootbale usb drive and there you go

[Kurian @ Mar 5th 2008 2:23PM]

They just HAD to print the entire license agreement on the usb drive, requiring it to be unreadably small.

[Sirius @ Mar 6th 2008 5:37AM]

That's the point init? If people actually read those license agreements who'd ever dare to install it? :)

[stooke @ Mar 5th 2008 2:26PM]

I guess the original U3 spec was too OS-agnostic, so they needed to come out with this?

[arteekay @ Mar 5th 2008 3:07PM]

Where'd you get that U3 was "OS agnostic"?

from http://www.u3.com/support/default.aspx:

"he U3 Launchpad supports the following operating systems:

* Windows Vista (you need to have U3 Launchpad version 1.4 or higher. If you do not have version 1.4 of the U3 Launchpad click here to learn how to check for updates to the U3 Launchpad.
* Windows XP, all service packs
* Windows 2000, SP4

Mac OS, Linux, Unix and the older versions of Windows OS are not supported. On these systems your U3 smart drive will function as a regular USB flash drive"

Don't let facts stop you from attempting to jealously bash MS though...

[The_Steven @ Mar 5th 2008 2:31PM]

An interesting idea, like a cross between an OS on a thumbdrive and www.portableapps.com .... Not a bad idea if your computer can boot from a thumbdrive, not all can. So let's see, I have the OS on a dongle, I go to any x86 computer in the world, plug this thing in, turn the computer on, run my finger over the fingerprint scanner, and there it is, the same everything, just as it is on any other computer anywhere in the world. Now if it could work existing hardware, It might be worth a look, but if I need to buy new h/w, no thanks.

[bamboo @ Mar 5th 2008 2:33PM]

I have a U3 2gig thumb drive, and just go to portableapps.com for everything.
U3 doesn't work with Vista anyway, so have to.

[arteekay @ Mar 5th 2008 3:09PM]

"The U3 Launchpad supports the following operating systems:

* Windows Vista (you need to have U3 Launchpad version 1.4 or higher. If you do not have version 1.4 of the U3 Launchpad click here to learn how to check for updates to the U3 Launchpad."

U3 does in fact support Vista.

[bamboo @ Mar 5th 2008 4:35PM]

sorry, I mean Vista 64 (at least last time I checked)

[Munford @ Mar 5th 2008 2:34PM]

they just don't have any IDEA. Things come out of Redmond are either useless nonsense or copycat work of somebody else's ideas.

[Josh L @ Mar 5th 2008 3:11PM]

I guess so. If by 'useless' you mean 'an already existing and popular technology', and by 'copycat' you mean 'taking an already existing and popular technology and customizing it to work seamlessly with Windows, which is good for profit and end-users alike'.

[Reginald @ Mar 5th 2008 2:41PM]

Isn't this just Roaming Profiles in a U3 flash drive? I guess "StartKey" just sounds more cool to those hipster marketing people.

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 2:56PM]

Reminds me of the 'Home' option Apple was thinking of adding to iPods a few years back.

It would let you sync all your contacts, bookmarks and applications to the iPod so no matter where you were you could just plug your iPod into a Mac and have all your settings and apps with you.

Pretty cool that Windows is adding something like this with a StartKey. Hopefully Apple will finally put out this option for the iPod.

[Josh L @ Mar 5th 2008 3:07PM]

That would be a useful feature for iPods/iPhones if you didn't also have to carry around a separate wire to connect it. When Bluetooth is standard on all iPods (by which I mean Bluetooth-equipped devices across a single iPod generation) I'd like to see Apple revisit this idea.

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 4:54PM]

Bluetooh may be too slow for some of these things

iPhone and iPod touch have WiFi and Apple already has Bonjour that auto configures wireless devices - not a stretch to get this working on these devices.

I wouldnt mind carrying around an iPod cable if I knew I would need to use this feature on a trip - better than having to lug around a laptop.

[Alexander Novas @ Mar 5th 2008 3:25PM]

dont see hows it that useful

[Sam Zebian @ Mar 5th 2008 4:11PM]

What about the Cloud??? Why carry a flash drive, we should just be able to log onto any windows PC, and immediately be in our own desktop environment, with all of our programs and files accessible there, as if it was your own PC. That would be awesome.

[dcny @ Mar 5th 2008 4:33PM]

What happens if internet goes out and don't say it doesn't happen?

[Kelmon @ Mar 5th 2008 4:56PM]

Absolutely agree. You can do most of this with a .mac account so I don't see why Microsoft doesn't do it this way as well with Windows Live.

[dcny @ Mar 5th 2008 4:35PM]

Maybe this is what Bill was talking about when he said


Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek,suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric."[8] When asked to clarify what he meant, Gates said:


“ That means that right now when you move from one PC to another,
you've got to install apps on each one, do upgrades on each one. Moving information between them is very painful. We can use Live Services to know what you're interested in. So even if you drop by a [public] kiosk or somebody else's PC, we can bring down your home page, your files, your fonts, your favorites and those things."

that sounds damn near close to the startkey companion

[tekdroid @ Mar 5th 2008 4:48PM]

The best thing about U3 is the following link:
http://www.u3.com/uninstall/

The best thing about this will likely be the following future link:
http://www.microsoft.com/lame_usb_Live_Key_uninstall

...except of course Microsoft would never let you u uninstall it and use it like a regular USB stick. One can dream, tho.