Splash into instant-on computing

Smaller, more often, more relevant, maybe imperfect – but simple, good enough and just in time. This is the new reality of IT. DeviceVM’s Splashtop instant-on Linux brings Web 2.0 thinking to the PC operating system.

One of the somewhat startling trends in the latest evolution of digital technology is the overtaking of engineering perfection by ‘good enough’. This sounds kind of insulting to IT professionals, but it is real. Authoritative content finely crafted by the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s professional researchers is overtaken by the collective wisdom of passionate Wikipedia amateurs. High-fidelity stereos and CDs are overtaken by the MP3 and the song-by-song download convenience of the iPod. The bastion of integrated on-premise software is assaulted by an invasion of ‘good enough’ task-specific web services, mash-ups and SaaS offerings delivered via the browser.The digital generation wants it now, wants just enough to be getting on with and wants it simple to use.

The PC operating system is becoming incongruous in this context – with Microsoft Vista providing the equivalent of an SUV to many who would rather ride a bicycle most of the time. How many of us are becoming frustrated with waiting for the PC to boot up when all we want to do is check something quickly on the Internet?

San Jose-based DeviceVM is showing the way of the future for the PC operating system. Splashtop is a slimmed-down Linux ‘thin operating system’ stored in flash memory on the motherboard. The system boots up in five to 10 seconds, providing a browser and limited range of no-frills applications including Skype and media players. It is a quick-start option, not a replacement for a fully functional operating system. Splashtop was launched last year and is now distributed as Express Gate on Asus laptops.

The tyranny of ever increasing boot up times is a plague on all our houses. The relatively quick two to three minutes of a new PC quickly fades as it becomes clogged with applications and plug-ins. Re-imaging is fine in theory, but time consuming and troublesome in practice for non-techies. The household CIO becomes tired of explaining to the kids how he managed to delete all their music or saved games. Many of us solve the problem by just leaving the PC on all the time, but this is a fire risk and makes us feel guilty about our CO2 footprint.

Thin operating systems like Splashtop herald some new thinking about the role of the PC in our lives. We are increasingly using it for small, light tasks. Turn it on. Look up a website, check the mail. Turn it off.

Windows Vista, the SUV, is there in the driveway but maybe we will discover that the bicycle is fine for those quick trips around the corner to the shops.

Courtesy: Dr. Steve Hodgkinson, Research Director, Ovum