PC maker Dell is expected to announce today its first series
of high-end laptops to include microprocessors designed by the
UK'sARM Holdings.
Although designed to run Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating
system on an Intel chip most of the time, the ARM chip and a
version of Linux will be used for instant access to some functions
as soon as the laptop is turned on, according to the
Financial Times.
Dell's strategy uses the outcome of a US Justice Department
antitrust case against Microsoft to avoid user frustration at the
slow Windows boot-up process.
In the landmark case, Microsoft lost its ability to dictate how
PCs start, enabling PC makers such as Dell and HP to use
alternative software such as the free Linux operating system for
instant start-up.
With Linux, Dell's Latitude Z can start as soon it is opened,
giving users instant access to e-mail and the internet, as well as
read-only access to documents.