Splashtop
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 Splashtop start screen |
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| Company / developer | DeviceVM |
|---|---|
| OS family | Linux |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Proprietary[1] |
| Latest unstable release | Community Preview v0.9.0.1 / before 2007/10/06[2] |
| Marketing target | Embedded |
| Supported platforms | x86 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic kernel, Linux |
| Website | www.splashtop.com |
Splashtop is an instant on commercial Linux distribution targeting PC motherboard vendors and other device manufacturers.[3] It is developed by DeviceVM.[4]
It uses Bootsplash[5], SquashFS[6], Blackbox, SCIM and the Linux kernel 2.6.[7]
Contents |
[edit] Concept
Splashtop is intended to be integrated on a read-only device and shipped with the hardware, rather than installed by the user. It does not prevent the installation of another operating system for dual booting. It boots in about 5 seconds,[8] and is thus marketed as "instant-on."
[edit] Features
Splashtop features a graphical user interface[8], a web browser based on Mozilla Firefox 2.0[8], a Skype VoIP client[8] and a chat client based on Pidgin.[7]
[edit] Limitations and requirements
New versions of Asus motherboards don't come with Splashtop preinstalled (exception, the P6T Deluxe). You have to use a CD that includes a Windows-only based installer. Also, you are required to have a Windows partition to store 500 MB of files, which has to be a SATA drive defined as IDE (no support for AHCI).[9] If one doesn't have a Windows-based machine, it is possible to install Splashtop on a USB key, from the sources.[10]
[edit] Internals
Splashtop seems to work with a 512MB flash memory embedded on the PC motherboard.[11] A proprietary core engine starts at the BIOS boot and loads a specialized Linux distribution called a "Virtual Appliance Environment" (VAE). While running this VAE, the user can launch "Virtual Appliances" (VA). Skype is a VA, for instance.[12]
[edit] Motherboards featuring Splashtop
As of April 2008, Splashtop is known to be used on the following ASUS motherboards, and on these it is rebranded as Express Gate:[13]
- P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi AP @n
- P5E3 Premium/WiFi AP @n
- M3N-HT Deluxe/Mempipe
- M3N-HT Deluxe/HDMI
- M3N-H/HDMI
- M3N-HD/HDMI
- M3A-H/HDMI
- M3A78-Pro
- M3A78-EM
- P5N64 WS Professional
- P5Q family (P5Q Deluxe, P5Q-WS, P5Q Pro, P5Q3 Deluxe, P5Q-E)
- P6T family
- Asus Eee Box motherboard[14][15]
In May 2008 ASUS announced they want to eventually use Splashtop across their entire motherboard product portfolio.[16] Numerous Splashtop-enabled motherboards, desktops, and laptops are available internationally since 2008.
[edit] Other products featuring Splashtop
Asus rebrands Splashtop as "Express Gate" for its other products (such as motherboards) as well.
- ASUS Eee Box
- Asus EEE Top
- Envy 133 from VoodooPC
- ASUS Notebook PCs:
- F3, F5, F6, F7, F8, F80, G50, G70, M50, M51, M70, N10, N20, N80, N50, U2, U6, V1, VX3, X57VN, X58L [17]
- Lenovo IdeaPad S10/S10e, which rebrands Splashtop as "Lenovo Quick Start".[18][19][20]
- LG X120[21]
[edit] See also
- Latitude ON - another 'instant-on' OS from Dell available on Dell Latitude E-Series laptops.
- HyperSpace - another 'instant-on' OS from Phoenix Technologies
- coreboot - another 'instant-on' computing concept
- Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) and Unified EFI (UEFI)
- The "Cloud" version of the gOS (operating system)
- Open Firmware
- OpenBIOS
[edit] References
- ^ Splashtop Instant-On Desktop from DeviceVM
- ^ [Phoronix] ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux, Web Browser
- ^ [Phoronix] SplashTop To Splash Onto Notebooks, Desktops
- ^ Splashtop Instant-On Desktop from DeviceVM
- ^ http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=splashtop_hacked&num=1
- ^ http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=915&num=1
- ^ a b http://www.splashtop.com/open_source.php
- ^ a b c d [Phoronix] ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux, Web Browser
- ^ Problem with Linux based machines
- ^ Installing splashtop on USB key (article in French)
- ^ SplashTop's Instant-On Linux Desktop | Geek.com
- ^ http://www.phoronix.net/image.php?id=870&image=devicevm_splashtop_4_lrg
- ^ Have we launched? Is this thing on? | On Top of Splashtop
- ^ Asus gives Linux another boost
- ^ AnandTech: ASUS Eee Box Preview & Intel's Atom Benchmarked
- ^ Splashtop to Ship on Millions of ASUS Motherboards, Starting with P5Q Family. Press release. 2008-05-14. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb942944.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ http://expressgate.asus.com/
- ^ http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/news/2008/10/28/SplashTop-Hits-Lenovo-IdeaPad-S10/p1
- ^ http://blog.laptopmag.com/splashtop-comes-to-lenovo-ideapad-s9e-and-s10e-netbooks
- ^ http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/DeviceVM-Lenovo-Bring-Splashtop-Netbooks/story.aspx?guid={FA0E25CF-AB58-456F-9B2C-0EBC5A176FF1}
- ^ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/lgs-new-x120-netbook-with-splashtop-powered-instant-on/
- Now your PC can boot-up faster
- Instant Boot-Up
- A hands-on look at the Splashtop instant-on Linux environment
- Asus to embed Linux on all motherboards
- Asus to offer Linux on all motherboards
- The 25 Most Innovative Products of the Year
- Asus P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP Review
- New laptops leap hurdles to booting up quickly
- In Age of Impatience, Cutting PC Start Time
- Computer-makers shaking up their booting
[edit] German
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Products featuring Slashtop
- Official blog
- Source Code (GPLv2) splashtop_src.zip 182MB
- Review on Phoronix.com
- Video demonstration on YouTube.com
- HyperSpace, a similar product by Phoenix Technologies
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