“Tired of Windows? The next generation of laptops may let you jump from one operating system to another to play movies, surf the Web or read e-mail,” Peter Svensson reports for The Associated Press.
MacDailyNews Take: The next generation? So, soon? Wow, this is amazing! And, really, who’s tired of Windows?
Svensson continues, “Phoenix Technologies Ltd., a leading maker of the software that controls Windows computers most basic workings, announced this week that it will offer a feature it calls HyperSpace to laptop manufacturers. Woody Hobbs, the Milpitas, Calif.-based company’s chief executive, said the first application of the technology probably will show up next summer in the shape of laptops that can play DVDs outside Windows.”
MacDailyNews Take: Play DVDs on a laptop without Windows? Come on, that can’t be possible, can it?
Svensson continues, “”The HyperSpace environment would be based on Linux, giving the freely distributed operating system what could be its biggest break yet in the struggle to gain traction against Windows on PCs. User will be able to boot in a few seconds straight into the DVD player, skipping the longer Windows startup, or switch to the DVD player from Windows. If Windows is running at the same time, it can be put in sleep mode, prolonging battery life,” Svensson reports. “Computer management functions like antivirus scanning could also be performed outside Windows, improving security, Hobbs said.”
Full article here.
Bryan Gardiner reports for Wired, “There’s absolutely no reason you should be waiting the three-plus minutes it takes your computer to boot up Windows, says Woody Hobbs.”
MacDailyNews Take: Three-plus minutes to boot up your computer?
Gardiner continues, “‘As Windows gets more and more complex, we’ve seen startup times get longer and longer,’ says Hobbs. ‘If I go to the airport and try to connect to a Wi-Fi network, I’m waiting for five minutes just to connect. That’s ridiculous — people usually just give up and use their cell phones or PDAs.'”
MacDailyNews Take: They do? And here we’ve been just opening our notebook’s lid and connecting in about 10 seconds for years. What are we doing wrong?
Gardiner continues, “In essence, HyperSpace is a simple operating environment, a layer on top of the BIOS, that runs side-by-side with Windows and can efficiently implement some of the most commonly used apps on a PC.”
MacDailyNews Take: Multiple OSes on a single laptop? What’ll they think of next?!
Gardiner continues, “Chipmakers and PC manufacturers have been trying to liberate themselves from lengthy startup times for a while, according to Hobbs, but the experience has been ‘controlled up in Seattle.’ Indeed, Hobbs says Microsoft regards HyperSpace as ‘outside their sphere of influence,’ and is not too happy with Phoenix’s offering, which adds yet another voice to the already loud chorus of voices complaining about operating-system bloat.”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, we must be doing something wrong. We’re just not having any of these lengthy startup times.
Gardiner continues, “Steve Grobman, director of Intel’s Business Client Architecture Group, says Intel will continue working with Phoenix and companies doing similar things in virtual or embedded environments, like VMware and Parallels.”
MacDailyNews Take: VMware and Parallels… VMware and Parallels… VMware and Parallels… Sounds oddly familiar… Oh, well, we’ll have to Google them later.
Gardiner continues, “Those problems don’t just entail slow boot times. At a basic level, they also have to do with Microsoft dictating user experience as a whole, regardless of what machine you’re using. In that vein, Phoenix says its HyperSpace platform could very well usher in a new era of ultrapersonalized PCs and laptops.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ultrapersonalized PCs and laptops whose user experiences aren’t dictated by Microsoft? Okay, this is devolving into crazy talk now.
Gardiner continues, “‘Historically, Windows has defined the machine,’ Hobbs says, ‘and (manufacturers) can’t really do anything about that. Now, we’re giving them the ability to develop the machine in the way they want.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Imagine giving a manufacturer the ability to develop a personal computer however they want! Like we said: crazy talk. However, HP and Dell and some others have developed some, uh, “interesting” case designs on their own, seemingly without even needing input from professional industrial designers, so maybe we’d get some equally interesting new user experiences with their software.
Gardiner continues, “Like VMware and Parallels, Hobbs says the platform isn’t supposed to be a replacement for Windows, but rather a much-needed augmentation. Not only will the technology provide ‘instant-on’ use, but it will also boost battery life by up to 50 percent as well as offer remote manageability.”
MacDailyNews Take: “Instant-on” use: sounds like that weird thing we do with just opening the lid. Something must be wrong. Maybe we should get some of that antivirus scanning stuff, too? We’d better get the Geek Squad on the horn.
Gardiner continues, “Phoenix is currently in talks with most major PC manufacturers, with the notable exception of Apple.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ha! Apple. Of course, Phoenix doesn’t want to talk to them.
Gardiner continues, “The company expects that manufacturers will start to integrate the HyperSpace platform into laptops within the next six to nine months, with consumers likely seeing a HyperSpace option from manufacturers in the second half of 2008.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Second half of 2008 and we could instantly play DVDs without Microsoft Windows! This “HyperSpace” thing is like the first step towards OS-unlimited computers! We can hardly wait!!!
The takes were hysterical. They are offering something that Mac users have had since the move to Intel. (However, instant-on and quick access to WiFi has been around on Macs for a minute)
I think that I just wet myself from laughing so hard! I haven’t laughed that hard in ages
Thanks
This just in………..
Apple inc is not longer Apple inc and is now Apple Farms
Steve Jobs will only make tasty Granny Smith and Red Delicious versions for all to enjoy!!
hahahaha this is tooooo funny. Do these people live under a rock?
Great job, MDN.
I learned in 1979 that you have to be very careful about hyperspace. Sure, your ship might escape an impending asteroid, but when you randomly reappear you might be put in an even worse situation.
My reaction is to shake my head at the sarcasm and groan at the lack of creativity that permeates the Microsoft universe.
I think we could have cured cancer by now if it weren’t for the pervasive mindset that embraces Windows and enjoys shows like Dancing With The Stars.
Can you imagine how great Apple would be today if Microsoft were actually a worthy competitor? Imagine what Apple would have been inspired to do with Leopard if Microsoft hadn’t delivered a labotomized OS like Vista?
I truly hope Windows 7 is spectacular and Android is truly amazing. That way OS XI and the iPhone 2 will blow us all away.
This Phoenix story is truly pitiful. What next, Phoenix? A PC that lets you play solitaire without booting Windows?
What sort of clueless, cave-dwelling moron do you have to be to write an idiotic suck-up piece like this one? Has Peter Svensson ever seen a computer before? Obviously, he has never seen a Mac before. And he is a tech writer, right?
Nothing to see here… move along.
Ha! Apple. Of course, Phoenix doesn’t want to talk to them.
Of course! Phoenix is known for their BIOS, a quaint, last century technology. Apple is so past that with EFI!
Great sarcastic takes MDN.
I went to the dentist yesterday. They have a pretty neat set-up, technologically speaking. The x-rays are all digital, and there is a big monitor up on the wall where you can see everything happening, including the x-rays themselves, as they appear.
Unfortunately, it all runs on top of Windows. When the hygienist and her assistant attempted to get it going, Windows crashed. They re-booted, and made some comment about computers not being dependable. I said something along the lines of, “I hate Microsoft. Computers don’t have to run like this, you know…” They seemed a bit confused, and then I said, “I’m a Mac guy.” They didn’t seem to be very computer savy, and didn’t really seem to get what that means, so I followed up with, “I don’t do Windows.”
A moment later, after they got the system back up, the dentist came into the room to introduce himself, and glanced quickly at the patient info card in front of him. Out of nowhere, he says, “Hey, I just noticed something about this guy… He’s a Mac guy!” The two girls were both a little stunned and were like, “How’d you know that?” He then told them that he saw my mac.com email address, and put his hand out for me to shake, saying, “Welcome. I’m a Mac guy too.”
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Judging from the looks on their faces, you may think that they were observing an alien race communicating psychically, and trying to figure out how they do it. I said, “It’s a Mac user thing. We can always spot each other.”
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The stupid thing is, Windoze people will see this and be amazed and excited and we’re all sitting here with our Macs that have been doing some of these things for years and wondering when the world is gonna wake up.
funny takes MDN
Wow. I’m amazed, really! This feller is clearly a clairvoyant seer of the future.
BTW. I’m sending this from the future on my Apple computer via multiple OSes. Yes that’s right, on an Apple! They are really big now.
Macs can play DVD’s and CD’s without booting Mac OS X either
All by using EFI.
More developement in this OS like firmware level (IntelMacs only) is being currently beng worked on by many sources.
http://refit.sourceforge.net/
A funny thing, the UEFI is responsible for EFI and not Apple.
A quick look at the members of the UEFI Group….
A Great idea but they cant do fuck all unless Apple licences OS X to them!
When will these ‘people’ learn…
Windows folk just don’t know that they are still stuck in a swamp:
As soon as I hook up this “HyperSpace” thingamabob with my “Time Machine” doohickey (with my sonic screwdriver) I’ll be able to get on my way again.
Wahooooooo (as smelly Shoeman likes to say)
Funny, with Vista I thought Windows was permanently in sleep mode, because it just doesn’t work!
Phoenix makes the BIOS that is in all VMware virtual machines. They just seem to be taking that ball and running with it.
Beautiful dissection, MDN! You could be a surgeon, or at least a good debater.
Now, we just need an email address for these authors (not easily found in the article). AND, there are only one or two Mac comments in there. Read the other comments and realize that you are looking directly into the eyes of the delusional. Some education is in order.
Good one! I was actually thinking about the same thing but for me the problem is reappearing on top of those damned aliens. It’s hard enough trying to pick up those refugee dudes from the ground without suddenly materializing on top of green heads and saucer dudes.
“Indeed, Hobbs says Microsoft regards HyperSpace as “outside their sphere of influence,” and is not too happy with Phoenix’s offering…” I don’t know – anything that pisses off MS is ok by me.
I’ve actually begun to wonder if the whole OS paradigm we work with now will eventually evolve into something else — like what? Well, think of apps all being turn-key. Having worked in broadcast operations for over two decades I’ve seen several manufacturers do this with hardware, that is, I can buy a non-linear video deck, or audio multitrack machine that uses its own proprietary OS made specfically for that machine that does nothing else but run that piece of hardware, but can still be interacted with other machines and computers using established networking protocols.
Especially with big programs, i.e. Photoshop, Shake, Avid, et. al., I can see that a way to make these programs use less hardware overhead, run more reliably, and potentially much faster, is to write their own OSes for their specific applications or application sets. A general OS might still come with your initial hardware purchase, but…
Well that’s as far as my thinking goes right now, but the direction things are going, and have always been going has never been acceptable to me [the end user], irregardless of whether we’re talking Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, whatever. What direction is that? Well, OSes never ever get smaller they only get bigger, which means more powerful hardware requirements, same goes for apps, always bigger never smaller faster and more efficient, always requiring inevitable hardware upgrades.
I’m not claiming to have easy answers here, or any answers for that matter, just trying to see things from a completely new way, and for the more truely objectively minded of you here, you have to admit that, to some real degree, things could be much better now (with regards to pc hardware and software technology) than they actually are. While basic reliability has gotten markedly better over the last twenty years, I still think it’s way behind where it should be, given the time and money that has gone into personal computing technology – and I mean all of it: MS, Dell, HP, Apple – all. By now my OS should never freeze, apps should never spontaneously quit – ever – and these should be basic and reasonable expectations by now – but they’re not, and I don’t think it’s because hardware isn’t fast enough, or because there isn’t enough RAM, it’s because of this paradigm that we’ve created (consumer, developer and manufacturer altogether), and the longer we keep doing it this way, then the longer we’re gonna stay stuck in this never ending rut.
I don’t believe that a change this big will come overnight, if it comes at all it will be very gradual. My view is that products like VMWare and ideas like the one stated in this article could very well be the beginning of a change in the personal computing paradigm that is, by now, in serious need of actual change. I use and promote Apple products because objectively I see them as real and perfectly viable alternatives to MS products and hardware that is essentially made to run nothing else but MS products, but the truth is that in some very fundamental ways there is not as great a chasm between products like OS X and VISTA as we think, and certainly wish, there is/was. Make no mistake whatsoever, compared to any MS OS any Apple OS has always been several steps, and more often several leaps ahead of MS Oses, but when you divorce yourself from the entrapments of product loyalty you begin to see that things can and should be much better by now for personal computer users, and at the very least we should have a plethora of viable alternatives to MS Windows, not just one.
Whether Phoenix is the way to go or not, I do believe that a change along these lines is inevitable, sooner or later, and I actually like the idea in principle.
Okay – rip me a new hole.
Cheers
This may be the foothold that Linux has been waiting for. If Linux finally has one recognized GUI they could take huge market share. Currently many users are as scared of Linux as they were of DOS thinking that it was all coding.
Obviously these users could buy a Mac, have Unix and install multiple OS’s, but as an average, most PC users are too cheap. It’s the sole reason Windows was king for so long.
It’s just so amazing that someone would spend all this time and effort just so you can watch a DVD faster. Can’t they just go to Walmart and get one of those $30 DVD players.
…what do you expect from the Ass Press?
@ Mr. Peabody
I was talking with a friend a while back about this, basically a computer with a native OS that just ran the hardware and other OSes. You’d have an OS that ran the included, ‘iLife’ type stuff, and then every 3rd party app would run a virtualized OS for itself on top of that. I think it could be a great idea, provided that software makers could build such a platform to OS and hardware agnostic. The harware OS would be maintained by the hardware vendor, and everything else that ran on top of it could be standardized, so any app would run on any machine.
Goodbye platforms. Think of it.
-c
MW: ‘middle’ (ware)