Fast On and Off

Sep 26, 2005 12:21 GMT  ·  By

Windows' loading time has long been subject for debates and each new version promised that it will start faster than the previous one.

With Windows Vista, Microsoft plans to break its own record and promises that the users will be able to start and shut down their operating system in three seconds.

Here's what the company says on Windows Vista's official site: "Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away. You'll also shut down and restart your computer less often by using the New Sleep state, a simple one-click on and off experience which not only reduces power consumption, but also delivers and protects user data"

Current Windows versions try to reduce booting time by placing the most frequently accessed data on the hard disk's optimum areas.

For Windows Vista, Microsoft comes with a new technology, called "SuperFetch", in which all the libraries necessary for a certain program will be pre-loaded before the system is turned on, so when the user will open the application, the system will only start the interface.

It's not obvious if "SuperFetch" will reduce the global boot time, but let's hope that the above paragraph is more than just a marketing strategy.