14 DAY TRIAL // One of the oldest components that has not changed over time almost at all is the computer BIOS. We all know that it is a third kind of software applications (apart from the system software and the application software), and it has not undergone a dramatic change since it gained the ability to boot from optical media. Of course, the BIOS software is being continually perfected and more and more features are added up, but most of it is still the same.
The Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is the true successor of the BIOS. It is a specifications set that defines a software interface between the operating system and the platform hardware. Originally developed by Intel, the standard is now under Unified EFI Forum's attention and is also known as Unified EFI.
However, its implementation has taken quite some time. Apple was among the first equipment producers to use EFI within their Intel-based Mac computers, but now it's time for the PC users to say goodbye to the BIOS chip and enjoy the newer Unified EFI. The first one to implement in a generic PC motherboard seems to be Micro-Star International (MSI), as the motherboard manufacturer is working on the first EFI-enabled motherboard, called the P35-Neo3.
Under these circumstances, the mobo manufacturer has unveiled some of the new standard's benefits over the old (but still functional) BIOS. According to the company, the EFI specifications set supports graphical menus as well as mouse controlled interfaces. Moreover, these interfaces will be localized and the user will be able to select the desired language each time the EFI is accessed. Anyway, the most important achievement will be the ability to run pre-OS applications from within the EFI environment.
Extended functionality will be added to the ESI standard as it is being introduced in future motherboards. MSI has slated the P35-Neo3 motherboard to be released until late next month.