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The system is designed to allow people instant access to frequently used programs, and to make using a notebook for a brief task as easy as reaching for a mobile phone or PDA.

"PC system vendors gain the ability to remotely restore customers' PCs and deliver security that is far more powerful than what is possible today. In addition, PC users can avail [themselves] of one-click access to everything from media, messages, safe shopping and web browsing," says Dr Gaurav Banga, CTO of Engineering at Phoenix.

There have already been some previous products in this area, and many PCs already come with the ability to play DVDs without booting up, but such features have not proven widely popular. The influence that Phoenix carries in the BIOS market, though, could see HyperSpace become a common feature on many more notebooks.

Because the system doesn't require Windows, it could provide useful in system restoration and fault fixing. It also opens up the possibility of web browsing free of the worry of malware, since the hard disk isn't accessed at any time.