Instant-on Linux vendors respond to Chrome OS

Instant-on Linux vendors respond to Chrome OS
Instant-on Linux platform vendors Phoenix and DeviceVM have responded to the revelation that Google will soon be releasing its own lightweight Linux platform. They view Google's entry into the market as a validation of their products and they both have strategies for competing with the search giant.

By Ryan Paul


Dave Bennion
BIOS manufacturer Phoenix Technologies announced plans on Monday to launch a new version of its Linux-based HyperSpace environment that will use some components of Intel's Moblin platform. The move reflects Moblin's growing traction among vendors, but it is also Phoenix's response to the recent revelation that Google is building its own Linux operating system.

HyperSpace, which was first introduced by Phoenix in 2007, is an "instant-on" Linux environment designed to run in a slim hypervisor that is part of the BIOS. It uses its own power management framework that boosts battery life.

HyperSpace can be used by itself on a netbook or shipped alongside a conventional Windows installation. It provides a simple user interface and an assortment of applications for common tasks, including a Web browser and ThinkFree's Java-based office suite.

The rising popularity of low-cost netbooks has created demand for lightweight mobile platforms that can boot faster, run longer, and deliver nothing but 'Net. Such platforms are intended to bring a more appliance-like Web experience to netbook devices. With the emergence of Google's Chrome OS as a possible contender in this space, other players are looking for ways to stay competitive.

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