Terry Blanton wrote: What happens during start-up of a PC?
Various things happen, such as looking around for plug-and-play components (as Hoyt Stearns noted). You can see this happen as the CD-ROM starts up and stops. The important point about nonvolatile RAM is that whether the RAM saves its content or not, during startup it is entirely rewritten anyway. In fact, this is exactly what happens during recovery from sleep or hibernation: the RAM contents are loaded from the disk. This takes practically no time. It would not go any faster if the RAM were nonvolatile. Nonvolatile RAM would have many advantages such as lower power consumption, but it would not help this particular problem. It is often cited in the newspapers and computer magazines as being the solution to the slow startup, Even distinguished experts such as Bill Gates have said this. As far as I can tell it is incorrect. Nonvolatile RAM is more or less the same as having a battery backup, which all portable computers have, as do most desktops these days. Battery backup saves the time that would be lost to a startup after a power failure, but it does no good during a re-boot after a crash or deliberate reset. I highly recommend a battery backup. It saves a lot of misery from lost data and also the units incorporate robust power surge protection. Newer ones have power surge protection for telephone lines and ethernet lines. Don't forget to thread them through the box. I just noticed that my line here does not go through the box! - Jed
