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Writing an end to the bio of BIOS

By

On December 31, 2003, 9:40 AM

Intel and Microsoft say it's time to ditch the outmoded BIOS, or basic input/output system, which for 23 years has served to start a PC's hardware before the operating system takes over. The companies say the Extensible Firmware Interface, or EFI, makes it simpler to add improvements to PCs and speeds up the booting process.

Although many agree that the BIOS is out of date, a new technology isn't likely to be adopted until it's declared an industry standard. Intel and Microsoft will push for that, but with PC makers historically resistant to change, EFI is, if anything, likely to exist alongside BIOS for some time.

Read more: [URL=http://news.com.com/2100-7337_3-5131787.html?tag=nefd_lede]CNet News[/URL].

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  1. January 2, 2004 6:16 PM
    MrGaribaldi said:
    The "infinite loop" just got a new meaning... Just think about how many virii writers who'll target any EFI software written by MS... And with their track-record for security holes, chances are we'll see plenty of boxes stuck in a reboot loop...
    Reply
  2. January 2, 2004 10:31 PM
    tripleione said:
    Perhaps we should wait to see what even comes about from EFI before blaming Microsoft for having security problems with it.
    Reply
  3. January 3, 2004 9:39 AM
    Nic said:
    I'd like to see a basic OS built into the hardware, so that you can do some basic maintenance if your OS won't load. That could be installed on eeprom and should be upgradable. The functionality of DOS would suffice, but with upgradable support for various filesystems perhaps.
    Reply
  4. January 3, 2004 10:45 PM
    Federelli said:
    That built in OS is a nice idea, you could then use a jumper to restore default settings when nothing else works :D
    Reply

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