Microsoft is sending free USB drives to Windows 11’s biggest fans

If you’re the sort of energy consumer that merely should stay on the bleeding fringe of software program, then Microsoft would love to reward you. Well, kind of: It needs to ship you a free USB drive for attempting out the newest “Canary” construct of Windows 11, anyway. It’s allotted some 8GB USB drives to members of the Windows Insider program who don’t at present have one, to allow them to set up the working system recent as a bootable drive.

If you’re completely determined for $5 value of PC accent, you would possibly simply need to dig round in your sofa cushions as an alternative. Microsoft says that its provides are restricted — and certain to run out rapidly, as these items typically do — and that transport would possibly take six to eight weeks. And there’s no manner to merely ask for one: You’ll want an e mail invitation and a verification code, as famous by Beta News.

Perhaps extra fascinating than the attract of some free {hardware} is what it signifies for the brand new Canary channel. “Canary” is developer communicate for “the newest features that are likely to break everything,” as in “canary in the coal mine.” If Microsoft is keen to ship out a bunch of freebies to customers simply to get them to check out the newest builds of Windows 11, it could be proof that there are some very large options within the works. Big sufficient that Microsoft is keen to spend appreciable cash to broaden its pool of testers.

It’s potential, although actually not confirmed, that the options and modifications within the Canary channel would possibly present up within the subsequent main launch of Windows. Windows 12 — or no matter it could be referred to as — may present up as quickly as subsequent yr, if rumors are to be believed.

Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer