Discussions

[1]

This discussion relates to Technology Review's article Bypassing Windows with a Quick Boot.

• 
  gprao
  

  Posts:
  9

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/06/2009 02:10 AM

  Presto

  Wouldn't it be so much more sense to have a browser open up immediately on booting up that enables the user to check on one's email even as the software invokes and boots up the rest of the operating system? (ie, Presto would be the first module of the OS) The OS would be ready even as one is browsing thru the mail in the Inbox.

  Rate this comment:
  • 
    Kate Greene
    

    Posts:
    16

    Avg Rating:
    

    

    Reply

    03/06/2009 12:47 PM

    Re: Presto

    Great point, gprao. I asked Smith the same question and he told me: "Anything’s possible...I haven’t heard feedback to suggest that people want it."
    
    But this morning Smith sent me an email update, writing that Xandros has plans to include a feature in Presto 2.0 that lets users launch Windows in the background once Presto is running.
    
    

    Rate this comment:
• 
  janovsk
  

  Posts:
  2

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/06/2009 09:04 AM

  Presto

  Worth a look.But one can achieve the same thing by using Puppy Linux or DSL Linux even on older machines.

  Rate this comment:
  • 
    richharding1
    

    Posts:
    9

    Avg Rating:
    

    

    Reply

    03/06/2009 07:52 PM

    Re: Presto

    Janovsk is right.  I use puppy linux as a live CD, it's free, and I can use it to log on quickly and use the web rather than booting up windows.  Numerous other small linux systems exist (again, free).  Presto seems to be nothing other than a small linux system set up as a dual-boot system with linux.  This is already very easy to do.  Most linux distributions include a boot utility called GRUB which will allow the user to choose between two operating systems at boot-up.  Easy and free.

    Rate this comment:
    • 
      janovsk
      

      Posts:
      2

      Avg Rating:
      

      

      Reply

      03/08/2009 08:50 AM

      Re: Presto

      There is even a version of Puppy called wNop 0.2 that has compiz fusion built in that can be booted from a CD or jump drive in less than a minute.

      Rate this comment:
      • 
        smithsomian
        

        Posts:
        51

        Avg Rating:
        

        

        Reply

        03/09/2009 01:15 PM

        Re: Presto

        "under a minute" isn't a very good boot time for a "fast booting" operating system considering it takes me 40 seconds to check my email after hitting the power button on my Windows XP x64 machine.

        Rate this comment:
• 
  millikenresearch
  

  Posts:
  9

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/06/2009 09:09 AM

  Presto

  Sounds great. I've hoped that some version of Linux would give Windows serious competition for the desktop. Maybe you will be able to extend Presto later.

  Rate this comment:
• 
  warwick
  

  Posts:
  1

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/06/2009 09:12 AM

  interesting marketing ploy

  note that linux is mentioned only once in the article.  whoever is selling/promoting this is doing a great job of minimizing that fact.  very creative marketing!
  
  
  

  Rate this comment:
• 
  ArtInvent
  

  Posts:
  28

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/06/2009 01:04 PM

  Sure but . . .

  It seems pretty odd to have to then log out and wait for the main OS to boot.
  
  The main full-boat Linux distros will probably be booting in less than 20-30 seconds anyway within the next year's releases. And then you have your full OS up and running. It's a top priority for Ubuntu's upcoming April release of 9.04 Jaunty. The guys at Fedora/Red Hat are probably even further along.

  Rate this comment:
• 
  MobileTechGuy
  

  Posts:
  3

  Avg Rating:
  

  

  Reply

  03/09/2009 05:42 PM

  Rather get a notebook

  If the idea is to get people up and running to access the web (applications), then I would rather go with netbook than installing another app that will take up the resource of the existence hardware.
  
  MobileTechGuy

  Rate this comment:

[1]