"Isn't it time that the operating system and bios be contained in a huge BAE (Big A-- Eprom) without a battery?"Back to the Future! My TRS-80 had that - and the i/o was to cassette tape.

...Jerry

Chienworks:
Almost except you still have to boot. What I am getting at is once the operating system is installed in the SSD it should no longer have to boot up because it is already booted up. In other words the operating system is installed in it's booted up state. JJK

But it would always boot to the same state. It would not know about any changes you and your software have made since the last boot. And all the devices that need to be kicked in to start would not.

The booting process is a lot more than having an image in the memory. But if that is what you want, instead of shutting down, place the computer into the hibernate state.

i've used computers with their OS on a chipset.

all changes to the OS are stored on small files on the drive. they're read as the computer boots up. it's a definite plus. it demands an OS that works; the culture of upgrades isn't incremental anymore. after a few years, when u buy a new computer, u get a new OS. the only installs are the software u choose to use and those are reinstalled on the new computer's hard drive.

OS on a chipset would still read/write files on bootup. but just those that customize it to the end-users needs. it is a better way to run a computer (imo), but it means it has to work reliably for a relatively long period of time...i don't see Microsoft or Apple having much interest in this.

It wouldn't work on an O/S as complex as Windows.

It was fine for simple 8-bit systems, and in fact, I wrote code for embedded PC's in a former life. It was all stored on EEPROM.

It was also very inflexible.

If you think about it, your PC BIOS, which is on EEPROM, is about as complex as the TRS-10 was.

Windows O/S is not a single program. It is a GUI shell on DOS and hundreds of sub-processes that all get loaded into RAM. Just boot up and use the task manager to look at the processes running and installed.

This announcement may be the answer...

Intel i8 Announcement
Santa Clara, California
September 13, 2011

We are proud to announce the newest generation of Intel processors, the i8. This processor is designed to fit the needs of Consumers and Enterprise Data Centers in one energy efficient, cost effective eight pin package which plugs into a new socket, the iSocket8.

Hardware Architecture
The new i8 is truly a system on a chip making all previous hardware platforms from Intel and others obsolete while maintaining backward compatibility with all x86 processor architectures. The new processor is built around a virtually endless (1) supply of machine speed non-volatile memory running at the internal clock speed of the new cores being announced today. Memory is shared by all cores. This large amount of memory along with the other features of the i8 makes hard disks and other forms of storage unnecessary.

Green Inside

The new packaging of the i8 is made possible by advanced technology allowing Intel transistors to draw an infinitely small amount of power. The Total Design Power of the new iSocket8 is 0.1 nanoWatt. A patented on-board energy storage device charged at the Intel plant is sufficient to last the life of the processor. (2)

A New Generation of I/O

The level of integration and the speed of the network port in the i8 processor make external busses and host buss adapters a thing of the past. One signal line leaving the iSocket8 is used for networking through a new ThunderClap adapter running Petabit Ethernet to any point on the World Wide Network (3). Intel is concurrently announcing a new Centrillo chipset for system builders who wish to implement wireless Petabit networking.

The “Data Based” Processor

Using Internet Protocol Version 8 (IPV8), users can have a personal IP address. Special algorithms running in Cisco 13,000 switches (4) allow a user to have all information ever created or viewed sent to the memory of any or all the i8 systems in his or her personal IP range. A special feature in Windows 8 allows users to implement this feature biometrically or with a unique finger swipe pattern across any qualified touch-sensitive or motion-sensitive holographic display.

Native Operating Systems Support

All i8 processor models ship with Windows 8, Apple Cougar (Melloncamp release required to run at the time of general availability), and all major ports of Linux in memory. All operating systems are available for license and one or all can run concurrently on i8 systems from Intel Preferred Vendors. Past implementations of bios and other hardware management methodologies are no longer required as all iSocket8 implementations are aware of the only external I/O device required, the petabit Ethernet port. All legacy I/O devices will run on the petabit Ethernet port. (5)

(1) 1000 exabytes, 640 petabytes available for user programs and data. The top 360 petabytes are reserved for operating systems.

(2) A small add-on photo-voltaic cell is available at extra cost for those who run CPU intensive applications or those who need an extra margin of safety. Just plug the photo-voltaic cell into the network port when the system is not in use. For enterprise applications, the workstation can be run with power-over-Ethernet while not using energy stored inside the processor.

(3) IPV8 required

(4) Other network switch manufacturers plan to offer similar functionality by Q3, 2012.

(5) All legacy I/O devices will run from the petabit Ethernet port with appropriate CAT8 patch panels.

"Intel i8 Announcement"Ha! Where'd you find that... The Onion? Apple Cougar Melloncamp release... tee hee!

...Jerry

I wrote it. I'm working on a new career in public relations. I've given up on drumming, engineering, marketing, management, data center design and video editing.

I actually think a lot about the bottlenecks in systems and how constraints from the past affect the way things are done today. Some of them are quite silly. If you don't believe it, just hang around any data center.

"I wrote it. I'm woking on a new career in public relations."Quite clever!! You have bright future!

...Jerry

"It is a GUI shell on DOS"

Actually that hasn't been true since the transition from 98SE to Windows 2K. Both 2K and NT3 were the OS. There was no DOS underneath them. Any DOS access is now accomplished with a Windows program that emulates the old DOS.

"(1) 1000 exabytes, 640 petabytes available for user programs and data. The top 360 petabytes are reserved for operating systems."

Quick question: If 1000 petabytes are used, what are the other 999,990 petabytes doing? Why can't we use those too? Is this another one of those himem fiascoes?

"Is this another one of those himem fiascoes?"

Heavens no. "No one will ever need more than 640 petabytes."