BIOS maker Phoenix has announced HyperSpace, a Linux-based virtualization platform that's designed to be built into and run from the BIOS. HyperSpace is based on Phoenix's HyperCore hypervisor, and it's essentially a software layer on which open-source software can be loaded and run without interaction with Windows-or any other operating system installed on the host system. Users can reportedly toggle quickly between Windows and HyperSpace, as well.

Based on the HyperCore hypervisor developed by Phoenix and embedded within its popular BIOS, HyperSpace provides a thin software layer upon which cut-down versions of popular open-source software can be loaded instantly without the need to boot up Windows, said Phoenix CEO Woody Hobbs in a telephone interview. "We call this embedded simplicity, or PC 3.0," Hobbs said. The goal is to allow faster access to applications such as Web browsers, e-mail programs or video players on notebooks running Windows. Such quick-launch capability is common in smart devices such as handheld devices or smart phones, and some ultramobile devices offer similar functionality with features such as AVN Now. But PCs that now run Windows must either go through a lengthy boot process or wake up from standby mode -- still a hiccuping feature in many laptops.

Another technical concern is the semi-closed nature of Hyperspace. For instance, end users won't be able to easily add or uninstall software from HyperSpace. That means they must rely on Phoenix creating a worthy ecosystem of open-source software providers willing to port cut-down versions of their applications that can run nimbly under HyperSpace. Hobbs downplayed that, saying Phoenix has no illusions about trying to match Windows' massive ecosystem. "We don't want a thousand partners -- just 20 to 30 good ones," Hobbs said. Phoenix is also looking to partner with a company such as Google Inc. or Yahoo Inc. in offering an ecosystem of "widgets" -- small software programs run inside a Web browser.