Tech to boot your computer faster

We are all familiar with the rituals of morning. Take a shower, brush your teeth, make some coffee, and wait for the computer to boot. That last item is the newest, of course, but it can also be the most irritating. Sometimes it also seems like it is the longest wait of the morning. Why does something so simple have to take so long? Thanks to some new innovations, we may finally be getting rid of the computer boot-up wait.

One such innovation is Splashtop, by DeviceVM, a San Jose, CA based startup. DeviceVM has developed software that can run some basic applications almost instantly as soon as the user presses the power-on button. Their software can be installed on the hard drive, or in flash memory on the motherboard, which will allow you to be productive while your system boots fully.

Computer manufacturers can build Splashtop into their systems by placing code in the BIOS. The software is compatible with Windows and Linux, with more operating system to be added later.  Splash to can instantly connect to networks over WiFi, LAN, xDSL, and cable. WEP, WPA, and WPA2 wireless security standards are supported.

Computers have always booted slowly, but when the internet is the destination rather than an inventory system, the boot-up wait seems to be more onerous. People have come to expect instant gratification from broadband internet connections and fast browsers. Any lag at all in access to the internet can raise howls of outrage from users.

Most manufacturers are currently working on ways to get the user up and running faster. ASUS, a manufacturer of computers and motherboard components, is now building fast-start technology into all of its systems. Like many of its competitors, ASUS is using some components of Linux in flash memory to start certain functions like networking and internet browsing almost instantly.

Many manufacturers are also working with large flash-drive technology, which uses memory devices in place of much slower mechanical disk drives. There have been some problems with reliable longevity using these devices, and their size still lags behind the more conventional hard disk drive technology, but they so allow an almost instant-on experience.

Someday soon, we will all be able to open the laptop and have our computer up and running in seconds. The competition among rapid-boot technologies is a good thing and will insure that the best and least expensive technology wins. Best of all, we will soon be able to surf the internet while waiting for the coffee to brew, instead of vice versa.

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• Intel plans two second Linux boot
• HP’s memristor discovery could revolutionize computer memory
• Microsoft may kick Linux boot time with “instant on” in Windows 7
• Department of Energy to get world’s faster computer
• Intel builds flash memory tech into chipsets