Asus embeds open source for fast boot ups

Asus is extending its commitment to open source software, announcing it is to embed Splashtop, a lightweight open source operating system (OS), in a range of its notebook models.

Branded as Express Gate for Asus users, the Splashtop OS from Linux vendor DeviceVM, is intended as an alternative to the main system, specifically allowing for speedy start-ups and shutdowns. And the announcement follows Asus' commitment to embed Express Gate in its entire motherboard range earlier in May, affecting 1,000,000 units a month.

"The integration of Splashtop into notebooks represents a big step forward in portable computing, where instant 'on' and 'off' is essential," said Mark Lee, DeviceVM co-founder and chief executive.

The software is designed to cater to standard consumer PC uses, containing a web browser and applications for listening to music or sharing photos for example.

Models spanning a wide range of segments are to ship with Splashtop pre-installed by Asus starting in June this year. These include Asus's M70T, M50V and M51Vr multimedia series and the F8Va/Vr series.

Asus is showcasing Express Gate at the Computex exhibition, currently being held in Taipei.

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.