Sun 07 Sep 2008

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Edited by Paul Hales

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Zero to Google in eight seconds

Warp speed interwibble

ASUS RECKONS its new line of laptops will be able to go from a cold boot to internet access in just eight seconds.

Express Gate is a chopped down secondary operating system which disables pretty much everything apart from the essential ingredients to get you on the Web lickety-split.

The OS lets you get at the Internet and music and photos can be shared without accessing the files and setup in the normal Windows operating system.

We reckon if you're so busy that you can't wait a minute or so for your computer to boot up a proper operating system, you've got no business bimbling about on the World Wide Wibble anyway.

Get on with some proper work you slacker. µ

Comments

Freaking loading times

It reminds me of Shigeru Miyamoto talking about "other" consoles, saying that he could not stand to wait 1 minute to start playing.
I've got a Gamecube and true enough - Nintendo developed games do not feature any loading screens.
People hurry even to have fun :-)
posted by : Cherullo, 22 July 2008

About time

Good to hear something like this is finally been produced, at least if nothing else when traveling this will be better than having to sit there waiting for ms windows to come up to show your laptop is real and not a "bomb" which takes for ever when there are another 30 people behind you who have the same problem as you have.
Real work on a laptop, please don't make me laugh.
posted by : Relaxed, 22 July 2008

Thats not the point

The point is, you dont even have to install an operating system if all you do is browsing the interwibble and replying to spam.

And you can do all that after just 8 seconds.

Would be very useful if this feature were integrated on ALL motherboards for very little cost, considering how cheap 1-2gigs of flash memory is these days.
posted by : Speedfreak, 22 July 2008

Waiting Can Be FUN.

Who dosn't like little TaDah beeps at start up, then mfgs splash screen, with ability to lead to Bios.Tghats So FUN. Next Computer starts to start & awaiting its o/s list. then o.s loads. well about minute of PURE Joi.

If You Missed start up sounds that activate bios chip, I Pity you, each little creep forward is so Grand. Sleep Mode is as good as any 8 sec computer.

Also, with so much google talk, let me state: Google is conduit that USENET takes to penetrate into Your families Home. Google too is cute name, yet content of USENET tells it all. B A R F.

So Remember: You alredy have 8 Second Computer, if it has Sleep Mode enabled.Also, how do you write code that blocks: google/usenet/hermitscave/ et. al?
drashek
posted by : Go_Slow, 22 July 2008

Less is more, now do one for gamers.

This is what we need IMHO, minimalist OS that does not do all the resource wasting tacky tinsel trash but runs DX10.

Quick and functional is what we want. If you run an OS to play a game, it should not be a game itself (to make it run efficiently).
posted by : Richard, 22 July 2008

A good start...

That sounds great; now all they need to do is work out some way of booting Windows in the background or at the very least passing control back to Windows quickly. I wonder whether you could do anything with hibernation?
posted by : A, 22 July 2008

Sounds good to me!

I can think of plenty of times I "just need to look one thing up online". Being able to do that in seconds instead of a minute plus is a good thing. The power savings will also probably be pretty substantial if you can avoid booting the entire system with the CPU and HD churning away at full blast while Vista chugs into memory.
posted by : General Lee D. Mented, 22 July 2008

This is very useful!

Just one example of when this would come in very hand is getting directions. Say you are on the road and stopped next to a hotspot and would like to get directions and a map ASAP.
posted by : Matthew Clark, 23 July 2008

express gate ??


lol, i thought it was called 'safe mode' :O)

8 seconds eh ?? i suppose they're not bothering with a/virus, f/wall etc then ?? hmmmmmmmm O_o
posted by : psychochief, 23 July 2008

In answer to..

Two comments in answer..

Asus is now building this into every new motherboard they make. So Laptop or desktop you can be on the web in literally a few seconds.

It boots up in a cut down Linux OS, so there is little need for antivirus or firewall. The system may boot read only anyway, (cant quite remember), so if that's the case then internet nasties are definitely not a problem.

By the way the latest versions also contain more than just a browser, i.e. skype, photo viewer etc.
posted by : kiwilinux, 24 July 2008

fireproof penguins ?? lol


@ kiwilinux

the nick says it all kiwi, quote :-

"It boots up in a cut down Linux OS, so there is little need for antivirus or firewall."

are you insane ?? errrrrrrrrrrm, oh sorry, i forgot, your a penguin :O)
posted by : psychochief, 24 July 2008
IThound
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