Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: preboot, quickstart, hyperspace | Themes: Windows Tech Talk, Laptops and Notebooks
- 1. Don't Wait For Windows
- 2. HP QuickLook 2
- 3. Sony’s Fast Forward to Media
- 4. Voodoo IOS: Which Interface Do You Want?
- 5. Express Gate: Almost an OS?
- 6. Phoenix HyperSpace
4. Voodoo IOS: Which Interface Do You Want?
The Voodoo IOS (Instant On Solution) environment on the Voodoo Envy 133 ultraportable gaming notebook is based on Splashtop Linux, but you wouldn't know it. It feels as if it’s part of the Voodoo experience rather than a completely separate system, with the Voodoo logo in the background and launch buttons to match. Voodoo IOS doesn't use all the features of Spashtop, either.
Both were deliberate choices, Rahul Sood, the CTO of HP’s Voodoo business unit, said. “We really wanted to keep a similar look and feel to what our customers are used to," Sood said. "We put a select number of familiar applications on it, including a browser based on Firefox and Skype, because we believe simplicity on the IOS is important in order to keep performance consistent.” And gamers who buy the Envy are probably looking for more than the casual games Splashtop offers in its pre-boot environment.
Sood said Voodoo IOS saves users time and battery life. “We wanted this notebook to feel faster than other notebooks," Sood said. "We know that boot-up times can be frustrating, particularly when you’re in a hurry, so we thought about the types of applications that we want quick access to—and came up with an Internet browser and Skype—and developed the Voodoo IOS.” Sood added that the Voodoo Envy 133 was the perfect product to launch IOS, because the laptop’s design is all about mobility. It also comes in handy when you’re in a rush.
Other Splashtop environments like Express Gate and Phoenix’s HyperSpace have their own user interfaces, as well as many more features.
- Previous page Sony’s Fast Forward to Media
- Next page Express Gate: Almost an OS?
I could see this being very useful for one or 2 things..like a special purpose media player that will play all movie/audio formats and allow more of the hardware power to go to the actual content instead of supporting a bloated OS.
Many years ago I wondered if it would be possible to have an "OS Chip" that was exponentially faster than a stardard hard drive for storing your OS on...it looks like we're getting there!
At the very least it will push Microsoft harder to improve boot times. I think microsoft is working hard to improve boot times, but harder works for me. Really it will all be moot once they perfect one of the super fast static memory technologies, as then the whole system can go from off to on almost instantly... measure in 10s of ms.
I think these options will be less attractive once SSDs go mainstream. Intel SSDs boot Vista in < 10 seconds. Windows 7 should be even quicker.
this is what i am wondering too. right now these SSD's are just too small and the speeds are still trivial. i see if SSD don't make it then the motherboard makers will in the future just put and expansion port on there motherboards for a flashchip just for the OS
One important thing you seem to have forgotten: Windows XP, a full-sized OS that can boot in ~20 seconds (from bootloader screen to login screen, at least on my Athlon 64 X2 system with old Barracuda 7200.7). Newer hardware should improve it and possibly break 10 sec barrier.
Shame that XP wasn't included in this Speed Table...
Conclusion: you don't need to choose between beefy Vista or crippled quickstart os'es. Just use XP (or some light Linux distro).
WTF?
Have you ever used a Mac? Open it up and it wakes up from sleep immediately! None of this boot sillyness. This has been how Mac OS X has been working since 2001. Why keep eating the MS dog food when you can eat subway???
@fuser: see the boot speed table for how fast Windows 7 can boot on a fast SSD like the one in the S101; even the team at Phoenix were impressed by it.
@Anonymous: a Windows system wakes from sleep just as quickly and has done for many years. However many people choose to hibernate or shut down to save power. The first time I shut the lid on a Mac and left it unplugged for a few days and expected it to still have power when I came back to it, I was infuriated that it had stayed in sleep and run down the battery. You're comparing apples and oranges (and I wouldn't personally call Subway a premium brand either!)
Mary Branscombe
Why not have the option to boot into Windows Mobile: that takes only a few seconds, and there are lots of apps (like MS Office compatible word processor) that open in another second or two; and the interface to WM is familiar to many PDA/smartphone users. The discontinued NEC MobilePro 900 and Psion Netbook Pro boot instantly, and Open Office's word processor or MS Word reader open instantly.
Does anyone know where to download Quicklook2