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September 27, 2005
Boot Time @ Warp Speed
When I was a kid (yes too many years ago and actually in the fifties and not just the ironic 50's of those sixties kids) we used to turn on our televisions and watch a warm fuzzy white glowing dot grow ever larger in the middle of the screen until it wobbled a little and the picture appeared. The TV took minutes to "warm up". Sometimes only to be rewarded with a test pattern. Eventually TV's got better with 'instant on' technology and they actually turned on when you turned the knob (yes, a knob, before remote controls!).
Well I'd love that instant on experience whilst turning on my desktops and laptops. Doesn't it just burn you when you spend minutes staring at your glowing monitors waiting for them to be 'ready' for you? And having to reboot for repairs and new software is so last century! Ha! I still remember when Bill Gates was promising faster boot times - instant on and off - for PC's back in the 80's! It's gotten longer not shorter.
Well now Microsoft Vista (old name Longhorn) is promising stuff on their website. One of those promises is:
"Fast On and Off: A Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away. You'll also shut down and restart your computer less often by using the New Sleep state, a simple one-click on and off experience which not only reduces power consumption, but also delivers and protects user dat. (sic)"
Sure hope it comes true. Maybe this is MS's 25th anniversary present for us! Grin.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at September 27, 2005 4:14 PM
Comments
Doesn't happen. I got Vista the day it came out. The boot time has reached up to 1.5 minutes. I wish it were 2-3 seconds. I dunno, maybe it's just my comp, but it's not 2-3 seconds.
Posted by: Vista person at February 6, 2007 1:09 PM