Instant-on

<p>In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, instant-on is the ability to <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">boot</a> nearly instantly, allowing to go online or to use a specific application without waiting for a PC's traditional <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> to launch. Instant-on technology is today mostly used on laptops, <a href="/facts/Netbook/aExm3tmc">netbooks</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nettop/mJYFkQg4">nettops</a> because the user can boot up one program, instead of waiting for the PC's operating system to boot. This allows a user to launch a single program, such as a movie-playing program or a <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">web browser</a>, without the need of the whole operating system. There still remain a few true instant-on machines such as the <a href="/facts/Atari_ST/9GsYSlaM">Atari ST</a>, as described in the <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">Booting</a> article. These machines had complete <a href="/facts/Operating_Systems/8XTuvMh2">Operating Systems</a> resident in <a href="/facts/Read-only_memory/P9QMuDLH">ROM</a> similar to the way in which the <a href="/facts/BIOS/AYYPUogS">BIOS</a> function is conventionally provided on current computer architectures. The "instant-on" concept as used here results from loading an OS, such as a legacy system DOS, with a small hard drive footprint. Latency inherent to mechanical drive performance can also be eliminated by using <a href="/facts/Live_USB/QNvT9R3D">Live USB</a> or Live SD flash memory to load systems at electronic speeds which are orders of magnitude faster.
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Instant-on open-in-new

Instant-on