View Data on a Laptop Fast - Without Windows

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/36382.html' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/36382.html</a><br /><br /></div>The Register reports that "Phoenix Technologies this week has kicked off what will prove to be a protracted battle to own the PC before the OS loads with a new version of its FirstWare Assistant software that gives customers easy access to email. Unveiled at CeBIT, the latest version of FirstWare Assistant lets users check their Microsoft Outlook email, calendar and contacts data without booting Windows XP. By holding down the "F" key, users get instant access to this information - technology thought to be ideal for checking up on appointments, recalling a phone number or pulling up directions while on the road." <br /><br />OK, accessing data from your computer without firing up Windows – I'm impressed. It looks like the relevant data is being pre-cached by the FirstWare Assistant, so that it can be presented to you quickly. Only thing however, is that it can only give you what was synchronised onto the laptop before it was shut down. Intel has a more power hungry version of this technology, that can update the data while the laptop is still shut down.<br /><br />"Both Phoenix and Intel have long-term visions for this type of technology. In the next couple of years, consumers will be able to start up music players, games and other software without Windows' help. In the meantime, Phoenix is simply billing its software as a tool for eliminating the PDA. Why carry both a laptop and handheld around when you get instant access to the same data on the notebook?" Why indeed? What's your take on this and the 'eliminating the PDA' concept?

[jkendrick]

Sure, you can just carry your laptop around in your back pocket and check your PIM info whenever you want. :D

[packetstorm]

Sure, you can just carry your laptop around in your back pocket and check your PIM info whenever you want. :D

You nailed it. "Eliminate the PDA" ? Not likely. Nice idea for its designed purpose but I seriously doubt ppl are goind to dump their PDAs in favor of carriying around their notebooks.

[Ed Hansberry]

Ohhh... Ground Hog Day http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=227261 :rotfl: ;)

[Steven Cedrone]

You know, I thought I saw that before! :wink: Deja Vu! :lol:

Steve

[jkendrick]

I still get credit for the first response for the 2nd thread! 0X

[cmlpreston]

"Both Phoenix and Intel have long-term visions for this type of technology. In the next couple of years, consumers will be able to start up music players, games and other software without Windows' help.


So, you're (ok, they're) telling me that a computer can actually do stuff *without* Windows? Get out of here! :lol:

Michael J. Fox, where art thou?

cmlp

[Gerard]

PDA-like speed of use, with none of the convenience of a package weighing 10-15 times less and batteries lasting 2-5 times longer between charges.... hmmm, sounds brilliant to me! This is goofy. It may have very limited utility in certain very special situations, but generally there's no economy here. The kind of information this thing can deliver is identical to what an instant-on PPC delivers and then a whole lot more, without the wait to go ahead and boot Windows on a notebook when you realise you actually need to edit something, or send an email. Even just looking at the time factor - how can pulling a PC out of a briefcase or shoulderbag, opening it, hitting Power and holding down a key while it sort-of-boots possible be faster on the draw than a pocketable device with one-button access? Start adding in password access and the race just gets sillier.

[Jonathon Watkins]

You know, I thought I saw that before! :wink: Deja Vu! :lol:

:oops: Ooops - sorry - I did not realise it had been posted on before. I saw the story myself while catching up with tech news. Guess I should read *every* story here at PPCT *carefully*.

6/10 - must try harder. :?

[Aerestis]

mahhh, there will be no replacing, but sure... it's a useful feature for a notebook.

[surur]

You know, I thought I saw that before! :wink: Deja Vu! :lol:

:oops: Ooops - sorry - I did not realise it had been posted on before. I saw the story myself while catching up with tech news. Guess I should read *every* story here at PPCT *carefully*.

6/10 - must try harder. :?

Dupe!

Now where do I get the high modded posts from before and copy to this thread!

1, 2 ,3 4) Profit!

I wont subscribe until I see one month without dupes! etc etc :)

Surur

[dh]

I can see this software being really good with a device like the OQO. Would make it a very nice product he it had instant access to some outlook data.

[Janak Parekh]

I wont subscribe until I see one month without dupes! etc etc :)
Hey, at least we don't dupe on a daily basis like Slashdot. ;)

--janak

[Ed Hansberry]

I wont subscribe until I see one month without dupes! etc etc :)
It wasn't a dupe. It was a stereo broadcast! :lol:

[surur]

I wont subscribe until I see one month without dupes! etc etc :)
Hey, at least we don't dupe on a daily basis like Slashdot. ;)

--janak

Just for Jonathon, I wasn't ribbing on you, I was just making fun of the News for Nerds homepage /.

As Janak said, dupes there is so common, the editors dont even apologise for it any more. Its still one of the biggest sites in the geek universe though (right up there with PPCThoughts :) )

Surur

[Icebaron]

As Janak said, dupes there is so common, the editors dont even apologise for it any more. Its still one of the biggest sites in the geek universe though (right up there with PPCThoughts :) )

Surur

You know, slashdot really amazes me. Not because of the articles or the nerdy news bias, you can get that anywhere. The amazing thing about slashdot is the complete chaos of the community they've built up. There are dedicated legions of trolls on slashdot who not only see who they can troll, but who organize trolling activities, who have contests for the most clever troll, who post in hidden secret forums on slashdot's very own site to discuss their latest trolling conquests. It reminds me a lot of the warez/virus/script kiddie communities, only it doesn't really do any actual harm. I wish more script kiddies would get into slashdot trolling instead of trying to pwn people :lol:

[surur]

You know, slashdot really amazes me. Not because of the articles or the nerdy news bias, you can get that anywhere. The amazing thing about slashdot is the complete chaos of the community they've built up. There are dedicated legions of trolls on slashdot who not only see who they can troll, but who organize trolling activities, who have contests for the most clever troll, who post in hidden secret forums on slashdot's very own site to discuss their latest trolling conquests. It reminds me a lot of the warez/virus/script kiddie communities, only it doesn't really do any actual harm. I wish more script kiddies would get into slashdot trolling instead of trying to pwn people :lol:

Thats why I like slashdot. It reminds me of a frat party.. rowdy, immature and out of control. PPCThoughts reminds me more of a family get together, still nice, but a different kind of fun (more civilised). Its the two websites I always keep reloading.

Surur

[CTSLICK]

Why carry both a laptop and handheld around when you get instant access to the same data on the notebook?" Why indeed? What's your take on this and the 'eliminating the PDA' concept?

Laughable. There's no way I am lugging my laptop everywhere I take my PDA. Neat software and a useful idea but please...its a reach to think replaces the need for a PDA. Now maybe if someone really comes out with an pda-sized pc running XP or seomthing...then the playing field may change.

[Janak Parekh]

Thats why I like slashdot. It reminds me of a frat party.. rowdy, immature and out of control.
Absolutely. :) Wikipedia has an excellent article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashdot_trolling_phenomena) on the Slashdot troll phenomenon.

PPCThoughts reminds me more of a family get together, still nice, but a different kind of fun (more civilised). Its the two websites I always keep reloading.
I also read both. I participate on PPCT a lot more, though, since my voice is less likely to get drowned. But for the no-holds-barred approach, Slashdot certainly is up there.

--janak

[jonathanchoo]

Isn't it quite obvious how it could work? It just load a super miniOS with a small application designed to read pst files.

Everybody knows you don't need to boot a PC in order to cache files of it and the same principal applies here. Still I doubt it would be instant access. Booting through my bios itself takes 10 seconds to go through the post.

This tech is similar to Linux LinDVD OS developed by Intervideo with Intel, IBM and Sony. LinDVD will enable instant start-ups on Windows Media center PCs. Of course who today shuts down their PC? I keep mine on all the time except on long trips.

[Ed Hansberry]

Everybody knows you don't need to boot a PC in order to cache files of it and the same principal applies here.
Can't assume that. If your files are on an encrypted NTFS drive, that won't work. This software will have to sync data from the PST to its own mini-partition to ensure it is accessible.