Phoenix launches HyperSpace instant-on OS upgrade

Many laptops come with an "instant on" mode that gives you quick access to a streamlined operating system to save you the trouble -- and time -- of booting into Windows. At CES, Phoenix, the company behind the BIOS in a vast array of PCs, is extending instant-on to hundreds of machines via a mini-OS upgrade it calls HyperSpace.

HyperSpace came out in mid-2008, but now it's about to seriously grow.

I tried out HyperSpace in both "flavors" in which it's offered. The "dual" version is much like any instant-on environment. It pops up first, then you have to quit and load Windows manually if you want to switch to the full OS. The other mode is called "hybrid": It loads both the HyperSpace environment and Windows simultaneously. HyperSpace loads in seconds, while Windows crawls open in the background, but once Windows is loaded you can switch between the two environments instantaneously rather than having to wait for it to load.

The HyperSpace environment is identical whichever version you run: Wi-Fi (and 3G WWAN, if your unit has it) are supported immediately after the roughly five second startup time. Here you'll find that most activities take place via a capable integrated browser (it even does YouTube). If you can do something online, you can probably do it in HyperSpace. Where the system is lacking is with offline files: There is no document editing system, no media player, basically nothing beside the browser. There's a simple file manager, but HyperSpace didn't detect a USB thumbdrive or a DVD. It's fine if you have all your files on Google Docs and only listen to music on Last.fm, but otherwise you'll have to load Windows to get at your offline media.

It's limited, yes, but if all you need is a mobile browser -- with all the trimmings -- it sure beats waiting for Windows to load... and Phoenix says HyperSpace offers 25 percent better battery life vs. Vista. The cool news is that HyperSpace will be sold preloaded on some laptops but you'll also be able to download it onto your own PC (if it's compatible) if you don't already have an instant-on OS.

The real sore spot is pricing: $60/year for Hybrid and $40/year for Dual, which is crazily out of line with what HyperSpace really does for you. I'd love to see Phoenix rethink its pricing strategy, with a special eye toward one-time pricing as opposed to a subscription.

Visit hyperspace.com (which wasn't yet up when I started to write this but should be in minute now) to get more info and check it out for yourself.