REDMOND, Wash., May 17, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced
“fast boot” support for industry partners in the Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition (Me) operating system. Windows Me, combined with
“fast boot” optimized PC hardware like the Dell Dimension PC, will provide home users with faster access to their information, communications and entertainment any time.
Many home users today use their PC to perform quick tasks, such as looking up the latest news and weather. For those home users, Microsoft is working with its associates to improve boot time with Windows Me on new PCs. Microsoft has also made several improvements in Windows Me to enable faster-booting PCs, including registry improvements, removal of real mode and faster device initialization. In addition, Microsoft has provided a boot-time-measurement tool for computer manufacturers to help enable a true
“fast boot”
PC, with boot times of 30 seconds or less. This tool will help computer manufacturers identify which drivers and devices provide optimal boot-time performance on any given PC configuration.
“We have been asked by our customers to improve the start-up time of their Windows-based PCs. As the PC becomes a more important device in the home, consumers increasingly expect that it will perform as well as their other home appliances,”
said John Frederiksen, general manager, Platforms Group at Microsoft.
”
We are pleased to be working with our hardware partners, and Dell specifically, to deliver a great solution to meet the needs of these customers.”
“Our customers expect great performance and utility from their Dell PCs,”
said Michael Massetti, worldwide software marketing director at Dell.
“With Windows Me, combined with Dell’s optimized hardware support for the”
fast boot
“capability, users can quickly gain access to their computer for a richer Internet and customer experience.”
A
“fast boot”
machine is one that starts up in 30 seconds or less. Dell will introduce a
“fast boot”
Dimension PC by the end of this year, when Windows Millennium Edition is scheduled to be available.
More information about Fast Boot technology is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/newpc/fast-boot.htm .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
