Stop Waiting for Windows to Load

Starting up a Windows machine is normally an exercise in patience, but that could be changing, thanks to several companies working to do away with the eternal boot-up. One startup, for example, has introduced Splashtop, a tiny, simple operating system you can boot instead of Windows. Boot time? About 5 seconds, Technology Review reports.

Windows’ mammoth size and the plethora of software on most PCs make it a slow riser. The smaller Splashtop steps in and boots first, before Windows can lumber onto the scene. Other companies have the same idea. Phoenix Technologies is making its own alternative startup OS, and Intel is working on hardware and software to speed up boot times. (More Windows stories.)