[redmenace]

http://www4.tomshardware.com/business/20050524/index.html

"A cell phone has got a better setup and display than my BIOS setup," remarks Richardson.

[redsniper]

or even ideas vastly more fantastic, plucked from science fiction - such as making Windows faster.

hehe...

[WMCoolmon]

Somewhat disappointing...

I don't care if my cell phone has a better display than my BIOS. It's easy to use, does what it needs to, and can be accessed pretty much anywhere no matter what is plugged into my computer.

Repair and recovery sounds nice, as does bootable USB, but I would much rather have the computer boot the OS kernel directly so the hardware wouldn't have to be detected and configured twice.

This just sounds like making the BIOS look more like XP, and adding a couple new features which will slow it down.

[redmenace]

well my impressions were that there are other issues involved. Such as current limitations.

[vyper]

Does anyone else remember the term "feature creep" from their early uni days?

[redmenace]

never heard of that.

[WMCoolmon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_creep

[Kosh]

Isn't Intel working on a way to do away with BIOS?

but I would much rather have the computer boot the OS kernel directly so the hardware wouldn't have to be detected and configured twice.

How exactly would you install the OS kernel without the BIOS?

[Flipside]

I actually quite like the feel of the BIOS, it's the only point where I feel that I alone am using my computer without anything trying to hold my hand and tell me where to go.

[WMCoolmon]

Originally posted by Kosh
Isn't Intel working on a way to do away with BIOS?




How exactly would you install the OS kernel without the BIOS?

One of two ways.

One, you have a default (probably extremely minimalist) BIOS/OS that lets you run the install utility to load the full thing into memory.

Two, an extremely small bootswitch utility determines whether to run the BIOS/OS or try to boot from a disk.

[aldo_14]

Weren't Microsoft trying to get a company (Phoenix or something, I think) to put a Windows startup kernel/routine as part of their next generation of BIOS'?

[WMCoolmon]

I'd rather see Linux than Windows; with a recompiled kernel to custom-fit your system, you could get startup going pretty damn fast, especially if you didn't need a GUI.

[Descenterace]

Originally posted by vyper
Does anyone else remember the term "feature creep" from their early uni days?

Yup. And I'm sick of being able to apply it to every commercial hardware and software product released in the last 15 years.

Firmware as well? I suppose it bridges the gap...

[Admiral LSD]

Originally posted by vyper
Does anyone else remember the term "feature creep" from their early uni days?

"Feature creep" is simply what people with crap PCs call "progress".

[Descenterace]

You mean, adding a load of utterly useless and redundant junk for the sole purpose of padding out the spec list and excusing the extortionate price is called progress?

[karajorma]

That's exactly what MS call it

[aldo_14]

I thought they called it 'Windows upgrade'?

[Admiral LSD]

And just who determines the difference between "utterly useless and redundant junk" and "earth-shatteringly brilliant new feature one couldn't possibly live without"? You? Me?

[karajorma]

And who determines that it's progress rather than a retrograde step? You? Me?

[Admiral LSD]

In either case it still represents progress. Whether it's for the better or for the worse is an entirely subjective evaluation. The point is that "feature creep" isn't an actual problem. Features are added for two major reasons: 1) because people request them and 2) to sell things (for profit or otherwise).

What's funny is that, in terms of software, "feature creep" is only negative when proprietary software is involved. Every open source project (including the SCP) suffers from it in one form or another yet it's only a bad thing when a big company like MS do it. Why is that?