Phoenix Technologies, maker of the humble system BIOS, may not be accustomed to buzz over its latest product introductions, but got it nonetheless on Monday, when it announced HyperSpace, a sort of operating system substitute.
Hoping to improve both boot speed and power efficiency in laptops, Phoenix developed HyperSpace to offer instantly available applications. Instead of booting into a on operating system like OS X or Windows, Hyperspace will allow PC vendors to embed certain software programs into their computers that can launch directly from system start-up, paring out the need for an operating system and the wasted time and energy inefficiency that go with it.
"For most of us, today’s computing experience is a lot like air travel – offering tremendous possibilities, but plagued with security issues, delays and system failures," said Woody Hobbs, president and CEO of Phoenix Technologies, in a statement. "HyperSpace introduces a new framework to transform the personal computing experience through purpose-driven appliances that work within the HyperSpace environment.”
Besides Phoenix’s own proof-of-concept prototypes, no computers have yet been built using the HyperSpace platform, but the company is working with industry partners and manufacturers to develop such systems for consumer use.