MSI boots out the BIOS

MSI has launched its first motherboards to usE the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), which is expected to supersede the BIOS code that kicks in when a PC is first booted up.

The company says it has begun to introduce the technology into its next-generation range, starting with the P45D3 Platinum and P45 Platinum motherboards.

The main difference for the user is that UEFI supports mouse control and a graphical interface before the operating system boots up. It also directly supports functionality such as web browsing and IM, allow these to be used without booting up the full operating system – though some developers, notably Phoenix, offer similar facilities using the traditional BIOS.

Microsoft was originally scheduled to include support with Vista at launch but kit was delayed. Support for UEFI version 2.1 came finally with the 64bit version of Vista Service Pack 1.

Microsoft explained in a paper that separate 32bit and 64bit versions of UEFI were required for 32bit and 64bit operating systems and it was not practical or cost-effective to support both on the same machine.

"Because most new PCs now use 64-bit capable processors, Microsoft wants to use the advent of mainstream 64-bit computing as a transition point to enable a move toward 64-bit UEFI as the standard PC firmware," the paper said.

Intel-based Macs already use UEFI, but Apple has the advantage of having tight control over the hardware. Microsoft points out that its support "means testing multiple Windows versions on a heterogeneous mix of UEFI firmware implementations from different firmware vendors on many hardware platforms".