I do believe integration between OS and BIOS is the way to go, and having Microsoft dominating a huge share of the PC market, that means they should be a major player in a new era of next-generation BIOS.

The catch is of course, enforcing DRM (digital rights management) on a lower hardware level would seem to be one of the main interests of the software giant... but, granting permission or any kind of control over my stored content? None of us would stand that any of these days. I can already see TechSpot becoming a linux website... if you know what I mean.

Both Microsoft and Phoenix are currently arguing for closer integration of Windows with PC hardware, and DRM integrated throughout. Microsoft is planning to tie Windows DRM features to the hardware platform via its controversial Next Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) project, formerly known as Palladium. NGSCB is associated with the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, which is due in about two years' time.