Phoenix Technologies relaunches HyperSpace instant-on OS: now tastier, widely available

Not that we've never seen this phenomenon before, but Phoenix Technologies' HyperSpace embedded OS was forgotten just about as quickly as it was introduced. Here at CES -- over a year since we first heard of the software -- it's being relaunched in very much official glory. Starting today, HyperSpace for Consumers can be downloaded directly onto any laptop in two flavors: Hybrid ($59.95 annually or $149.95 for three years) or Dual ($39.95 annually or $99.95 for three years). The former taps into the virtual technology in many Intel and AMD CPUs in order to let users toggle between systems; the latter forces you to stay in one or the other. Also of note, HyperSpace for Netbooks will begin shipping on pre-fab machines in just a few months, with Acer already signed on as a partner. The full release is after the break, and check out Laptop's hands-on at the read link.

PHOENIX HYPERSPACE FOR CONSUMERS DEBUTS AT CES, LAS VEGAS

--Delivers Instant-On and Always-Connected Computing - Notebooks and Netbooks can now be as Fast, Fun and Friendly as Mobile Phones

--Consumers can now take advantage of PC 3.0™ Vision

MILPITAS, Calif. January 6, 2009 - Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTEC), the leader in PC 3.0TM products, services and embedded technologies, today introduced HyperSpace for consumers, a revolutionary new instant-on and always-connected computing environment that makes operating a mobile PC as efficient, fun and easy, as operating a cell phone. HyperSpace dramatically simplifies and improves the mobile experience by allowing users to instantly launch important web-based applications (before Windows® even boots), automatically connect to the best available network, extend battery life, and achieve new levels of uptime and security protection. HyperSpace is immediately available for download at www.hyperspace.com

HyperSpace will also be available for download and on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from Jan 8-11 2009, at Phoenix booth# 9014 Central Hall.

Solution for Mobile Computer Users:
HyperSpace directly addresses the top frustrations of today's mobile computer users. In a recent survey, Get Vocal About Mobile, which was conducted by the Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience and its Reinvent Mobile initiative (www.reinventmobile.com), 1,300 mobile PC consumers listed their greatest frustrations as:

1) Running out of power too quickly
2) Finding a reliable wireless connection and,
3) Waiting too long to boot up and shut down of systems

"Stop waiting for Windows to boot or worrying about finding the best wireless connection. Instant-on computing with HyperSpace transforms the mobile experience by providing cell phone-like connectivity, ease-of-use and efficiency for key applications," said Woody Hobbs, president and CEO of Phoenix Technologies. "In less than a few seconds, you're up and running – browsing the Internet, emailing, instant messaging, and using other important applications. By utilizing the power of virtualization technology, HyperSpace can run side-by-side with Windows Vista® on certain systems, making your computer far more power efficient, secure and frustration-free."

Phoenix has been working with the world's leading silicon and software vendors to create an ecosystem for HyperSpace. HyperSpace is optimized for web applications like Google Apps and will include shortcuts to those applications so that consumers can easily access their favorite Google sites. Phoenix Technologies is also working with Yahoo's Zimbra division to add Zimbra Desktop email functionality to HyperSpace.

"Laptop and Netbook users typically surf the Web 90% of the time: instant access to the Internet, current information and online applications makes their time online more fun and productive. For over a decade many companies have tried to make virtualization ready for mainstream consumption. Phoenix Technologies has succeeded, and the consumer is the ultimate beneficiary," added consumer PC guru, Tim Bajarin, of Creative Strategies.

Availability and Pricing:
The HyperSpace instant-on/instant-off experience for the consumer is immediately available for download in two versions at www.hyperspace.com. Consumers can check their laptop while logged into hyperspace.com to determine which version to use.

o HyperSpace Hybrid™
o $59.95 annual license or $149.95 for three years, includes updates and free Website support
o Utilizes the power of virtual technology found in Intel microprocessors
o Users can toggle back and forth between the two operating system environments, reducing battery consumption by more than 25% when in HyperSpace
o
o HyperSpace Dual™
o $39.95 annual license or $99.95 for three years, includes updates and free Website support
o Designed for both Windows Vista and Windows XP systems that do not have virtualization enabled at the chipset level by Intel
o Delivers the same instant-on/instant-off experience with battery savings, however users can be in HyperSpace only when Windows is shut down or in Windows when HyperSpace is shut down

PC OEM Partners and HyperSpace Netbook™:
HyperSpace will be an embedded or a customized option on many next-generation notebooks and netbooks introduced by leading PC OEM and ODM partners. Phoenix has also launched a version of HyperSpace for the quickly exploding netbook market. HyperSpace Netbook, on display at CES, is a low-cost, efficient and tiny-footprint operating system for Internet access devices, providing instant-on/instant-off ease of use and smart network connectivity.


Key HyperSpace Benefits include:

Instant-on/Instant-off – With HyperSpace, you're up and running in a few seconds.

Smart connectivity – HyperSpace automatically and seamlessly connects you to the best available wired, WiFi and WAN network. You can easily add and prioritize preferred networks to optimize performance and cost efficiency.

Longer battery life – Using the web in HyperSpace extends battery power by more than 25% in some systems when compared to computing in Windows. With the right hardware and usage patterns, consumers can experience all day battery-life on certain platforms. A constant and significant increase in the number of platforms supporting all day computing is a high priority for Phoenix development.

Security – HyperSpace is a personal computing environment that is far more difficult to infect with viruses, rootkits and spyware than operating systems like Windows. Applications are digitally signed and stored in a secure memory store that is locked after execution. Updates and additions to HyperSpace will only be made via a site approved and owned or audited by Phoenix.

Uptime – If Windows Vista™ system fails, HyperSpace is still available and running. Phoenix partners are expected to shortly deliver solutions to maintain and repair the consumer's system while the user is still working in HyperSpace.

The combination of all these benefits means more productivity and less frustration for the notebook and netbook user.

About Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTEC) is the global market leader in system firmware that provides the most secure foundation for today's computing environments. The PC industry's top system builders and specifiers trust Phoenix to pioneer open standards and deliver innovative solutions that will help them differentiate their systems, reduce time-to-market and increase their revenues. The Company's flagship products and services -- AwardCore, Phoenix SecureCore, Embedded BIOS, Phoenix FailSafe, HyperSpace, BeInSync and eSupport -- are revolutionizing the PC user experience by delivering unprecedented performance, security, reliability, continuity, and ease-of-use. The Company established industry leadership and created the PC clone industry with its original BIOS product in 1983. Phoenix has 159 technology patents and 136 pending applications, and has shipped in over one billion systems. Phoenix is headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.phoenix.com.

Phoenix, Phoenix Technologies, AwardCore, Phoenix SecureCore, Embedded BIOS, Phoenix FailSafe, HyperSpace, HyperSpace Hybrid, HyperSpace Dual, HyperSpace Netbook, PC 3.0, BeInSync, eSupport and the Phoenix Technologies logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All other marks are the marks of their respective owners.

[David Ruzicka @ Jan 6th 2009 6:15AM]

Cool idea, but I bet that the subscription model will make it unattractive. I won't pay $60 per year for an OS.

[max654000 @ Jan 6th 2009 6:51AM]

Agreed.
And there is Ubuntu instant-on, too. Why would ppl pay for this, especially the lower priced version.

[Dave @ Jan 6th 2009 6:18AM]

Mr. XYZ gets around. Surely he signed a no-competition clause?

[mhc @ Jan 6th 2009 7:16AM]

Weirdly the Google statement only appears on Engadgets version of the press release - other versions do not have this, e.g.:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/090106/sf55729.html?.v=1

[David @ Jan 6th 2009 6:19AM]

Who is this XYZ guy and why does he give quotes for Google and Acer... Seems like they should have made up a name while making up quotes for their press release.

[psp1ace @ Jan 6th 2009 6:21AM]

I don't get it; what is this for, exactly?

[logicalthought @ Jan 6th 2009 6:27AM]

It would have been better if they called the Acer guy "Mr. Pink". Then he could argue in the press release that he wants to be "Mr. Brown", and they should've called the GOOGLE guy "Mr. Pink".

[ProfessorKaos @ Jan 6th 2009 10:06AM]

My thoughts exactly! Why can't I be Mr. Black!! great movie

[belard @ Jan 6th 2009 6:33AM]

I always keep my computer in suspension mode... And what do they mean by "PC 3.0 products, services and silly marketing buzzwords"?

[Kris120890 @ Jan 6th 2009 6:34AM]

Do you think XYZ has been trading secrets between google and acer.

[jmd @ Jan 6th 2009 6:35AM]

how does software make something instant on?

[qwert @ Jan 6th 2009 6:43AM]

Thats what she said.

Could not resist.
sorry
and most likely it even is not funny to anyone else but me.

Back to topic:
that pres release smell strange.
Mr. XYZ?
No mention of the tech behind, and an overpriced suscription model for the OS?
No thanks, not for me.
Either i would get one of those free, fast booting linux flavours (Arch linux and stuff like this), or just use suspend to ram wich has served me well for years.

qwert

[Shinigami @ Jan 6th 2009 6:36AM]

Because you lose 30 seconds of your life every time you start that laptop...

[Beastage @ Jan 6th 2009 6:50AM]

Which you shouldn't lose anyway if you use sleep or hibernate anyway ;)

[Beastage @ Jan 6th 2009 6:50AM]

Double anyway fail.

[Labrador @ Jan 6th 2009 6:40AM]

I really don't get this. I reboot my laptop maybe once or twice a month for windows update. Other than that it's just in sleep mode and wakes up instantly when I open the lid.

[Kris120890 @ Jan 6th 2009 6:42AM]

I get where you're coming from. I turn mine off and on a day at the enda and start of the day and allow it to sleep after 10 Mins of inactivity.

[fraz @ Jan 6th 2009 7:38AM]

it's like the sub systems on samsung and sony laptops, only a mini os rather than just a low-power (supposedly) multimedia app.

Sadly my old samsung laptop which i used to sleep/hibernate can no longer handle it. it's about 2 years old now and it's pretty much a 90% guarantee that it'll blue screen on returning from hibernate. I'd say it's time for a new one but i don't think that machine's ever handled hibernate too well, sometimes it'll just pretend it never hibernated and start from scratch.

back on topic, i believe voodoo laptops have something like this themselves, and someone already mentioned the ubuntu one. However, one feature i do like that i'd like to see how they handle is "let users toggle between systems". A Net (remember that old sandra bullock movie) style dual subsystem would be pretty sweet, especially if it both had access to each others data/resources. How they handle cross systems/installations/pc upgrades etc is a different matter

[dan @ Jan 6th 2009 9:09AM]

@Labrador - fair enough if your laptop is your primary machine. Mine lives in a bag and only comes out occasionally, when I need to quickly find something out on the move. This isn't particularly regular - could be a few times a day, could be once a week. If it was waiting in sleep mode the whole time the batteries would run down.

[Mark Perrin @ Jan 6th 2009 8:35AM]

Instant on? I just watched a video on you tube of hyperspace vs Vista (the one with the indian guy) and i timed it from when he pressed the power button to when he had his web page on the screen at 40 Seconds. I just booted my 17in core duo macbook pro 1st generation with SSD fitted, leopard 10.5.6 , it booted and got to a web page via wifi inside 35 seconds so it beat it by 5 seconds. This isnt a macs are great post but more whats the point in instant on when its not instant on? The other videos on youtube about hyper OS are really amateurish and show some scenarios that are worse than the early iphone adverts shown on TV using time lapse to speed things up. Im not sold on this OS and it has a Flawed Business model. Two thumbs down here.

[bureX @ Jan 6th 2009 9:23AM]

Yup, just watched some vids on YouTube too, and I can agree that they are not professional or trustworthy at all... The guy with Windows Vista is waiting for Outlook to open for a full minute, while the HyperSpace guy is already running "everything he needs" - pure bullshit.

My HP DV5z goes from standby to the Windows desktop in 2-3 seconds when opening the lid, and combined with the PowerSaver power plan in Vista, it saves a considerable amount of battery power.

Besides, the price is just way too high, and the subscription method of payment just adds more crap to the overall disappointment.

[J @ Jan 6th 2009 9:13AM]

My PC with Windows XP (desktop, not laptop, I know desktop hard disks are faster in general) takes 20 seconds from hard-off to fully booted in windows. It's "nothing special" new-ish hardware, but there's maybe $500 worth of parts in it. The "instant boot" is just part of the "PC 3.0" bologna. There are other, worthwhile aspects of the hyperspace product (security, maintenance, etc), but instant-boot is not one of them.

[Arkenklo @ Jan 6th 2009 12:01PM]

That image is totally funky.

[Dach @ Jan 6th 2009 3:31PM]

The statement "any laptop" is a bit hard to believe too, especially since the installer wouldn't even run on my laptop. No support for 64-bit systems, you see. But yeah. I'm not paying a subscription fee for an OS. If I'm late on a payment, can they turn off my OS remotely? Scary prospect.

[Offbeatmammal @ Jan 7th 2009 12:04AM]

Installed it.
It created a 3GB boot manager partition
Rebooted and discovered it didn't like my USB mouse, wasn't very well suited to my graphics card, and left me with no customizations of the shortcuts etc - all in all less than I'd expect for a $ copy of Linux
Then the uninstall didn't remove their partition so I'm now down 3GB of disk space as well as the hour I wasted on this :(

[BeginnerPawn @ Jan 7th 2009 1:01AM]

Yeah, kind of expensive for us computer geeks... But I'm sure there are many busy people who will pay the price to save a few seconds several times a day. And the price will probably go down overtime. How about those dummies who pay for the antivirus subscriptions or memberships at like greatstuff.com? There are thousands who like memberships.

There seems to be a real technology behind this, do not forget, this thing runs in parallel with Windows and you can switch back and forth, who else is capable of doing this? I do not talk about servers with Virtual Machines, but normal computers for regular consumers?