You dont need to boot to check your eamil, FAST LINUX

Some time ago a company called DeviceVM started to embed Linux into the motherboards of personal computers with the objective to provide an alternative operating system that boots up in a few seconds.

The objective is not to replace the main operating system, which in most cases is still Microsoft Windows, but to enable users to perform common tasks, such as checking email, browsing the Internet, or making a VoIP call immediately after turning on the computer, without the painful process of waiting for the regular OS to be fully up and running.

ASUS has been adopting Splashtop early on and includes it now on most of its motherboards. It is incorporated in the flash memory firmware. Besides the Linux kernel, this includes drivers, networking tools, and various frequently used applications.

Intel collaborated with Google on Chrome OS

Chip giant Intel told TG Daily today that it was in cahoots with Google on the Chrome OS project.

A representative confirmed this to us this morning.

He said: "We have been privy to the project for some time and we have worked with Google on a variety of projects, including this one. We welcome Google's move here."

The statement is likely to throw Microsoft into total panic. Intel and Microsoft were always "friends", but some have speculated they've always been enemies.

Intel put its weight behind a light weight operating system for netbooks, based on a Linux kernel, and called Moblin. Some had speculated that the Google move would throw Intel, as well as Microsoft, into disarray.

It seems not.

Now Intel has put its cards on the table, and it must be up to Microsoft to respond to the direct challenge.

Microsoft was unavailable for comment at press time. And could not be contacted for comment.

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Google: Chrome OS will be free, with major PC vendors on board

In a follow-up post this afternoon, Google confirmed that its upcoming Chrome OS will be available free of charge. The company also listed some of the partners it has lined up to work with the new operating system -- including some well-known PC vendors.

The details further illustrate the potential for the new Google operating system to alter the competitive landscape for Microsoft Windows. Google said Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments are among the early partners.

Google had previously hinted that Chrome OS would be available for free, and even before the confirmation this afternoon, that's what analysts were assuming. The idea isn't to make money off the operating system, but rather to help Google improve the Internet experience and deliver targeted ads, said analyst Mark Mahaney, a director at Citi Investment Research, in a note to clients earlier today:

"We neither expect the Chrome OS to generate material revenue near-term, nor do we expect Google's Chrome OS investments to materially impact its current cost structure. We wouldn't be surprised if Google gave the Chrome OS to OEMs for free, as they currently do with Android and their mobile partners. To be successful in selling an OS to full-powered PCs, Google would potentially need many large OEM partners, as well as a robust after-market support and services network, which would take significant manpower, $'s and possibly years to build out, in our opinion. This doesn't seem like Google's playbook."

Microsoft isn't commenting on the Google announcement. Google says Chrome OS will initially be targeted at netbooks when it debuts next year, but there's nothing to stop it from spreading to all sorts of computers. At the very least, the introduction of a high-profile, alternative operating system promises to give new Windows president Steven Sinofsky a major new competitor to wrestle with.