The end is nigh. For BIOS

For local oke's:

New PCs could start in just seconds, thanks to an update to one of the oldest parts of desktop computers.

The upgrade will spell the end for the 25-year-old PC start-up software known as Bios that initialises a machine so its operating system can get going.

The code was not intended to live nearly this long, and adapting it to modern PCs is one reason they take as long as they do to warm up.

Bios' replacement, known as UEFI, will predominate in new PCs by 2011.

The acronym stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and is designed to be more flexible than its venerable predecessor.

"Conventional Bios is up there with some of the physical pieces of the chip set that have been kicking around the PC since 1979," said Mark Doran, head of the UEFI Forum, which is overseeing development of the technology.
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Great stuff, I hope the UI looks better too.

BIOS = CMOS, right? (im a bit confused now)
 
Keeper said:
Great stuff, I hope the UI looks better too.

BIOS = CMOS, right? (im a bit confused now)
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No.

From http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000707.htm

Question:

What is the difference between BIOS and CMOS?
Answer:

Often the BIOS and CMOS can be confused because instructions may either indicate to enter the BIOS Setup or the CMOS Setup. Although the setup for BIOS / CMOS is the same, the BIOS and CMOS on the motherboard are not.

If you have already read the above BIOS and CMOS definition links you should now know that the BIOS and CMOS are two different components on the motherboard. The BIOS on the motherboard contains the instructions on how the computer boots and is only modified or updated with BIOS updates, the CMOS is powered by a CMOS battery and contains your system settings and is modified and changed by entering the CMOS Setup.

Although the setup is often referred to as the BIOS and CMOS setup, we suggest you only refer to the setup as "CMOS Setup" as it is more appropriate. Computer Hope often refers to the setup as BIOS and CMOS Setup to help users who are looking for one instead of the other.
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The bios are the firmware (coded instructions) in a flash memory component that enables all the hardware and thus specific functions of the motherboard to operate. Thus the firmware are the code that makes the Motherboard work in a specific way or manner. The firmware are upgraded from time to time. There are tho some parameters that needs to be changed on the fly, that you do when you set up the BIOS. The CMOS are just another memory chip to hold/maintain the parameters of the BIOS settings you made and is based on ram with a battery to protect the contents or parameters of the variable BIOS when the computer are switched of. When you want to clear the BIOS setting to default you remove the battery. Thus both the firmware and CMOS makes up the BIOS (Basic Input Output System/Structure).

So No the BIOS will forever remain as well as the CMOS parameter settings as part of the Motherboard/Microwave/Cellphone and any modern piece of upgradeable modern digital functional devices.
 
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Just a few days ago I wanted to start a rant thread about BIOS and when to expect EFI or alternatives like Open Firmware, OpenBIOS etc.

Now we can also get rid of MBR and it's restrictions.
 
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ponder said:
Just a few days ago I wanted to start a rant thread about BIOS and when to expect EFI or alternatives like Open Firmware, OpenBIOS etc.

Now we can also get rid of MBR and it's restrictions.
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Would getting rid of MBR also allow for newer technology file systems to allow for more storage support on a single hard disk drive?
 
I want to know how long it will be before we find the Os being stored in memory embedded on the mother board.
 
Fudzy said:
I want to know how long it will be before we find the Os being stored in memory embedded on the mother board.
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Well with current technology trends, it may not be too long, maybe another microsoft OS release away. The only problem with this is that one would have to have a sizeable SSD built-into the motherboard which could make it costly... Unless Microsoft comes out with a lightweight, user-friendly, cross-platform compatible O/S... Joke of the year.
 
Fudzy said:
I want to know how long it will be before we find the Os being stored in memory embedded on the mother board.
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Well this has actually come and gone already. With today's bloatware it's more complicated.

Back in the day you're OS was loaded from ROM but then again you are probably to young to remember this. My Amiga computers used to boot up in mere seconds with a fully multitasking OS. You young ones have no idea...
 
You still get many Asus motherboards with Express Gate, which is some kind of embedded OS that loads very quickly.
 
If it was a fully usable O/S with multitasking capability, why is it not used today?
 
I have only used it when I stuffed up my graphics card drivers in Ubuntu and required an Internet browser to troubleshoot.
A few years ago it would've been awesome to have something like this where the PC could have a browser open within a couple of seconds, where a normal OS would've taken like 3 minutes to load.
Now that SSD's are out and you're able to have a web browser open 30 seconds after you switched the PC on I really don't see a point in it, except for troubleshooting perhaps, but I have Live Linux disks for that :)
 
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