Phoenix Technologies launches HyperSpace "instant on" embedded OS

It appears that DeviceVM won't be able to sit around and gloat over its "instant on" SplashTop Linux OS that's being integrated into ASUS motherboards, as they've got some competition on the horizon. A company called Phoenix Technologies is introducing a new mini-OS called HyperSpace (what's with all these compound names?) that features a four second boot time. Using a form of virtualization which sets aside memory and disk space for the small boot, the ROM-based environment lets you access Firefox, launch a DVD movie, or fire up other apps while your system loads Vista or XP in the background. Apparently, the BIOS-embedded platform will also allow manufacturers and developers to embed their own, customized applications, thus extending the range of uses for the system. Soon, you won't have to wait even a tenth of a minute to check your Facebook inbox.

[Via Good Morning Silicon Valley]

[paul.davis @ Nov 6th 2007 3:25PM]

Sweet! I can play Doom or watch a pr0n while my OS boots up! HOORAY!!!

[Michael Geary @ Nov 7th 2007 3:11AM]

Yup. For the fact-challenged: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Technologies

[Michael Geary @ Nov 7th 2007 3:14AM]

Well, my reply got attached to the wrong message, thus making no sense at all. :-(

It was supposed to be a reply to JD's "Wasn't Phoenix Technologies the company that reversed engineered the original IBM PC BIOS allowing 3rd party manufacturers to start making PC clones? I mean these guys are like the granddaddy of modern computing."

[Mark @ Nov 6th 2007 3:28PM]

"A company called Phoenix Technologies"? Is that for the benefit of the readers who don't know that Phoenix already writes BIOSes for PCs?

[ja$on @ Nov 6th 2007 3:38PM]

It is actually made by the Phoenix Foundation. MacGyver created it out of some paper clips and cardboard.

[hugoliva @ Nov 6th 2007 4:13PM]

@ ja$on
LOL, best reference ever!

[nerdtalker @ Nov 6th 2007 4:19PM]

Yeah, like Phoenix is some startup that nobody has ever heard of...

Oh wait, since the Engadget editors all use macs, they never see the Phoenix BIOS corporate logo/name on the BIOS of practically every computer ever manufactured. Phoenix, or American Megatrends ARE the BIOS companies, period.

C'mon, how hard is it to do SOME background search?

[JD @ Nov 6th 2007 6:10PM]

Wasn't Phoenix Technologies the company that reversed engineered the original IBM PC BIOS allowing 3rd party manufacturers to start making PC clones? I mean these guys are like the granddaddy of modern computing.

A company called Phoenix Technologies indeed!

[Kao @ Nov 6th 2007 3:32PM]

can anyone say carputer friendly!

[Natasha @ Nov 6th 2007 3:36PM]

this is the begining of Skynet!

http://www.myafricansafaris.com

[Sander de Regt @ Nov 6th 2007 3:35PM]

Watch a DVD movie? So this thing will boot in 4 seconds (this is after power up I imagine) then it will take 10 seconds+ to open up the DVD drive, insert the disc, let it spin up etc. and then another minute worth of FBI warnings until the freaking menu finally loads. Yes, I can see how that will improve my DVD viewing pleasure.

[Sander de Regt @ Nov 6th 2007 5:07PM]

Ouch. That's harsh. I thought it was a funny statement. Now all of a sudden I am the lowest ranked? Ah well...it's clear humor doesn't translate well. I'll try to do better next time.

[hotrodsemail @ Nov 6th 2007 9:58PM]

@Sander

Dude, these ratings don't mean anything... But I did accidently click the red minus button next to your name.

[Jesse S @ Nov 6th 2007 3:36PM]

Is there any way to integrate one of these into a current PC (ie. one I have) without getting a kobo with it built in?

[Charles Garcia @ Nov 6th 2007 4:46PM]

Kobo? Is that short for Kobold? Watch out everyone! KOBOLD ATTACK!

[Jesse S @ Nov 6th 2007 4:57PM]

Whoops, typo. I meant mobo.

[Schajee @ Nov 6th 2007 3:43PM]

Isn't it about time OSes come on a removable ROM of some sort

[shakman @ Nov 7th 2007 5:59AM]

If the brilliant Acorn RISC OS dominated the market the way it should have back in the day then most competitors worth their grain of salt most likely would have followed the lead and run their OS from ROM:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risc_PC

Unfortunately poor marketing on Acorn's part combined with M$'s usual anti-competitive practices lead to the demise of a great platform. Fortunately the ARM and StrongARM chips have lived on.

[skon @ Nov 8th 2007 1:46AM]

I agree. Although it should just be that OS's come on an SDHC card and the motherboard should have a SDHC slot at the back of the case for the OS. With SDHC cards available right now in sizes up to 8GB and soon 16GB, and 4GB ones going for $28 at Best Buy you could probably load the OS on to a 1 GB one for less then what it costs to put the OS on a CD. And after makeing them in bulk the cost with packageing would probably be right in line with what they are doing right now for selling an OS.

[waiownsyou @ Nov 6th 2007 3:43PM]

"A company called Phoenix Technologies..."

lol, I like the way you make it sound like they're the new kids on the block

[Justin @ Nov 6th 2007 4:11PM]

These people think "deets" is a word.

Need I say more?

[reticulate @ Nov 7th 2007 12:03AM]

That's a pretty shocking editorial oversight, frankly.

I'm resisting the urge to mention it has something to do with how Mac's don't have a visible BIOS sequence. I really am.

[Michael Geary @ Nov 7th 2007 3:07AM]

They also think "drop" means "introduce" instead of "discontinue".

[saq @ Nov 6th 2007 3:45PM]

Yet another technology your average PC user doesn't need that is only going to horribly confuse them. Trying to explain the concept of virtualization to someone like my parents (who are reasonably tech savvy) is not a completely enjoyable process.

[FK @ Nov 8th 2007 11:21AM]

Then don't give this to your parents. See how easy that is?

[Bucket @ Nov 6th 2007 3:50PM]

Who turns off their PC in the first place??

[prokanda @ Nov 6th 2007 3:59PM]

I'm with Bucket.

[waiownsyou @ Nov 6th 2007 4:30PM]

Seriously. Window's Vista Sleep basically is an instant-on full-OS functionality.

[BM @ Nov 6th 2007 10:33PM]

Clearly, you've never traveled by plane with your laptop.

[Griffy @ Nov 29th 2007 4:37AM]

Or traveled by plane with your desktop.

[Josh @ Nov 6th 2007 4:17PM]

I really don't see how this is useful, it takes a max of 30 seconds to boot the Vista, and less for XP on most modern computers and this is mostly limited by HDD. Why not just buy a 10GB flash drive for the OS so you can instantly boot. This seems like a waste of time...

[Dirk Lucas @ Nov 6th 2007 5:42PM]

That still is half a minute and Ive got a short little span of attention.

[Josh @ Nov 6th 2007 7:21PM]

But what can you possibly get done in 1/2 a minute? Quickly browse to your inbox and see that you have email?

[Macandron @ Jan 10th 2008 5:16PM]

A max of 30 seconds? Since when? I've only seen boot times of 90-120 seconds on most computers. Which version are you running? On what kind of computer? If that, and what another poster said (15 seconds) is true, I gotta switch... But honestly, under 30 secs? From a regular hard drive?

[parasluco @ Nov 6th 2007 6:44PM]

Is this something we can add to our pcs? Or is it OEM-dependent?

[John @ Nov 6th 2007 4:49PM]

Phoenix Technologies... with a name like that, they'll never make it in the real world

Am I being sarcastic? You don't know...

[Shibathedog @ Nov 6th 2007 4:56PM]

Can you switch back and forth at anytime? Now that would be cool, I can never keep a machine Dual Boot for very long because I like Windows for all my games and photoshop/video encoding and Linux for...well everything else, and its really annoying to have to reboot all the time, eventually it seems like a waste to insist on using Linux like that and I end up deleting it.

[Twitchy @ Nov 6th 2007 6:10PM]

Four seconds? Four seconds?!? But I want it NOW!

[pvanderh @ Nov 6th 2007 7:02PM]

i have an intel quad core system with 2gb ram, Win Vista boots up to the desktop in under 15 to the desktop.

[Josh @ Nov 6th 2007 7:23PM]

I thought boot time was dependent upon the amount of time it takes your HDD to load up the OS, not how big your processor is.

[GoodOmens @ Nov 6th 2007 6:19PM]

Useless for me:

18:18 up 13 days, 23:26, 3 users, load averages: 0.07 0.11 0.13

And the downtime was for a leopard install ....

[David Clark @ Nov 6th 2007 7:02PM]

Why not just SUSPEND your PC and then you get your 4-second boot time. Works on PC's and Mac's. Much less effort than all this fuss.

[TheCow5 @ Nov 6th 2007 9:15PM]

This is great, but what does it do for security.Will I be able to access the HDD that's booting in the background,if so that's not very secure. The Data on the HDD that's beingbooted can be accessed.This would be even better if MS would allow its MediaCenter to beembedded to a Chip, Imagine how great that would be, it would be likepowering on your stereo or TV, instant MediaCenter.

PS:
My ThinkPad T42 has not been turned off in over five months and it takes nine seconds to boot up from Hibernation to winXP Desktop,and fifteen seconds to boot from hibernation with Fedora 8 test3

[Jason Bowen @ Nov 6th 2007 10:07PM]

I think this is a very nice feature. But the potential security risk make it stickky. I remember the days of loading your own custom VGS Bios Image. What's to stop a bios level loaded keylogger??

[NettiWelho @ Nov 7th 2007 12:19AM]

I think id actually like the quick boot time, since suspend-mode isnt an option if you have to reboot

[grjohnston @ Nov 7th 2007 1:43PM]

Those tenths of a minute are the saddest parts of my life. Thank you, Phoenix Technologies.

[01 @ Nov 7th 2007 6:39PM]

Where is the Mac love? Oh right, it doesn't take my computer 3-5 minutes to boot, never mind.

[Griffy @ Nov 29th 2007 4:37AM]

But the time I spend waiting for my PC to boot is when I get my best thinking done.