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I called Dell today and asked them if they were selling their boxes
with the new Phoenix BIOS 4 release 6. They said that yes, they were.
For those who don't know, the new BIOS will support ATAPI bootable
drives as the a: drive, namely Zip.
I'm not sure if this is important to anyone else, but to me this is
significant. One more hurdle has been cleared on the path of the Zip
drive replacing the 3 1/2 floppy drive.
Now the only reason to own a 3 1/2 floppy is for legacy media.
Here's the PR release from Phoenix concerning their new BIOS:
Intel motherboards now shipping with PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6; move marks beginning of Intel production ramp-up with Phoenix system software on all PC desktop and server motherboards
SAN JOSE, Calif.--Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:PTEC), the leading supplier of system level software to PC manufacturers, announced today that Intel (NYSE:INTC) is now shipping motherboards with PhoenixBIOS(TM) 4.0 Release 6 to manufacturers of desktop and server PCs.
This is the beginning of Intel's production ramp-up with Phoenix system software on their desktop and server motherboard lines. The integration of PhoenixBIOS 4.0 into Intel motherboards is part of a long-term technology licensing agreement between the two companies. The first units are Intel Pentium(R) processor-based motherboards with the new 430TX chip set.
"With the integration of PhoenixBIOS 4.0 into the Intel LT430TX and AN430TX Pentium processor-based ATX motherboards, our OEM customers get powerful systems that they can easily integrate into their PC designs," said Steve Werner, general manager of the OEM Products and Solutions Division at Intel.
"Intel's production of motherboards with PhoenixBIOS 4.0 is a significant event for Phoenix and system manufacturers," said Jack Kay, chief executive officer of Phoenix Technologies. "PC makers can now design and bring new computers to market earlier by using the performance and quality of Intel processors and motherboards, coupled with the industry leading technology and flexibility of PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6."
Release 6 of PhoenixBIOS 4.0 is the most feature rich system-level software on the market today. It allows manufacturers to build systems compatible with the industry's latest standards and specifications including:
USB -- Universal Serial Bus
DMI -- Desktop Management Interface
ACPI -- Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
AGP -- Accelerated Graphics Port
BBS -- BIOS Boot Specification
I2O -- Intelligent I/O
Systems built with PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6 also features Optimal Configuration Technology (OCT(R)) -- that automatically configures CMOS settings for peak performance, and the ability to boot from multiple devices including: CD-ROM drives, magneto-optical drives, large format removable media (Zip and LS-120 drives), and remotely via network LAN cards.
Phoenix Technologies is the world's largest supplier of standards-based compatibility software to the personal computer industry. The company's system-level software products, such as PhoenixBIOS(TM) for desktops, NoteBIOS(TM) for portables, and ServerBIOS(TM) for servers, allow PC manufacturers to increase product differentiation, reduce product cycle time to market as well as cut internal engineering costs.
Phoenix's PICO product line provides products and services for information appliances, and the Virtual Chips product line supports interconnect standards including PC Cards/CardBus, PCI, Universal Serial Bus and other emerging interfaces. Phoenix develops and markets ActiveHelp products to enable self-healing PCs that reduce support costs for PC manufacturers and users.
Information on all Phoenix Technologies products is available on the World Wide Web at www.phoenix.com .
CONTACT: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Jim Adamson, 408/570-1013
jim_adamson@phoenix.com
or
The Weber Group
Michele Landry, 408/325-8300
mlandry@ca.webergroup.com
"Copyright(c) 1997, Business Wire"
"Provided by Dow Jones & Company, Inc."
Philip
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