RSSPresto, and your PC is on
By Angela Gunn | Published April 23, 2009, 9:21 AM
Instant-on capability isn't entirely unknown on Windows machines, but those who spend too much time around Mac or Linux folk may find that its availability -- mostly laptops and tablets, mostly higher-end gear -- is too limited to countenance. To the rescue comes Xandros' Presto Instant-On -- as long as you're willing to apply yourself to a bit of setup effort. (Think of it as making time to save time.)
Xandros has been making a name for itself on various fronts, most interestingly as part of the software that made the first Eee netbooks such a kick in the pants for the PC market. They're good at interoperability across Windows and Linux, and the Presto software takes good advantage of Linux's speed and light system load while behaving -- we found -- as politely as one might hope for a Windows app.
We tried it on a fairly bad-tempered XP machine; the software-only Presto works on Vista as well. The download's a whopping 463 MB, and setup's no joke either. You'll want all your favorite usernames and passwords handy, since you're going to need to configure the stuff you use -- Skype, IM, Wi-Fi access and so on, depending on what you like to do with your machine. The download also includes a multimedia player (specifically, RealPlayer for Netbooks), a document editor, and a browser. More apps are available through the Presto Applications Store.
Once installed, you'll see a new start screen when you switch on your machine, asking you to choose between the Presto environment and the usual Windows. (If you don't choose, it'll kick over to normal Windows startup in 30 seconds.) We found that after the initial bout of configuration, Presto did indeed boot rapidly; in under 10 seconds, we had a funky toolbar loaded along the left side of the screen, and our files and applications were ready to go. Shutdown was even quicker -- a few seconds at most.
And that's it. The utility is an .exe and, as such, behaves as Windows executable files do. We found it perfectly simple to remove from our system using the usual Add/Remove Programs tool in XP (in Vista, Programs and Features). Meanwhile, the company tells us that Presto is not subject to fragmentation, so speed should remain constant over a long period of use.
It's not right for every machine -- an attempt to load it on a beloved tablet was a failure, since the screen drivers weren't available. (Your reporter suggests taking a spin through the support forums to see if your specific machine has any known difficulties running the Presto utility.) But if yours does, frankly, it's hard to imagine what you'd need to run under most circumstances that couldn't be run through Presto. (The company estimates that it can fulfill 95% of user needs.) I was able to edit Word docs, play my music and video clips, and hop onto Skype.
There's a free seven-day trial version available; the full version goes for $19.95. The lucky system will need 4 GB of free disk space.
Asus bring these functions for a long time now. Supported by their BIOS to boot instantly, they call it "Express gate".
It may be usefull when windows refuses to boot without need to use a bart-pe or similar cd software. Not a must, but a nice feature to have.
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|hmm?
maybe i'll try it on a pc i have with vista. it is a p4, but not thrilled with the time required for it to come out of hibernation, though hibernation is faster than a plain ol cold boot.
might be nice to have been provided with the link for the dl in the story above.
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|Why, if I may ask, are you hibernating a PC? (I assume by PC you mean 'desktop')
Hibernation is only "better" for laptops in case the battery dies. Since this isn't an issue for desktops, sleep or hybrid sleep mode is a much better fit (unless you suffer from a great deal of power-outages, but even then, hybrid sleep mode would probably be enough).
Both are *much* faster than hibernation when resuming.
Score: -5
|I'm guessing the hibernation is to save on energy usage.
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|actually, its a 7 day trial which is not time enough to evaluate this program.
further, there is no assurance that it will be stable when the o.s. is updated.
perhaps, if an arm and a leg is required to install it then uninstalling it would likely require two additional arms and legs. sounds like hostage ware.
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|"I'm guessing the hibernation is to save on energy usage."
In which case, hybrid sleep mode would still be the best choice for a desktop...
The minimal power required to keep the RAM powered is insignificant relative to a complete 'off' state.
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|"I was able to edit Word docs, play my music and video clips, and hop onto Skype."
All that work to configure a solution looking for a problem.
I mean, how many times do you turn your computer on and off in a day???
And I would suggest that there are more practical alternatives if the primary need to boot and use a computer is simply to play music and video clips or to use Skype...
Why do I get the feeling that BN is less about news an more about product marketing? hmmmmmmmm........
Score: -4
|For desktops, yes, this is pointless. But for laptops and the users on the move, this can be very handy if you are opening and closing your laptop every hour or so.
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|One word:
"Hybrid Sleep Mode"
{edit: Ok, I was going to say suspend, which actually is one word... :p I, uh...have a cold.}
Score: -5
|Even for laptops this is just useless. Sure you can boot fast, but again, how many times do you do that?
Maybe to add a quick note in word or make a quick appointment? Then, why turn your laptop even on? Windows Vista and 7 with their deskshow, or how it's called, simply makes that already possible by just enabling a small, but usefull enough screen, and perform that quick task there.
I haven't got such thing myself, so i'm sorry if i'm telling completely nonsense, but as far as I know, this is possible, and much quicker and power saver then a linux booting a full operation system, or a big part of it.
People even with laptops use their system for a long time in many cases. To many people just think this is somehow important but it's really not. Sure I would love to turn my pc on and do the thing I like the same second, but I also want to use all the devices that I've attached and have a nice experience with my machine, even if today I suddently want to run a other application.
The most real time for windows to boot is because of my devices. The left over time is to load the things I need, and allow me to get full experience in just two minutes. I mean, updating my antivirus at work takes longer then booting windows. (That one is on XP, personally I don't run any antivirus, and run 3 years clean with no issues, and 80% faster system).
If linux worked on improving what they are offering, then they would be interesting to businesses and real people. Linux, ubuntu or other OS's just don't work for the end user. And comparing linux to Windows XP even convinces me that XP is much better and more stable. And that for an operation system that has been buid like 8 to 9 years ago.
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