Since I can’t turn on my laptop with the power of my mind, I guess I’ll have to live with waiting for it to boot up. You know, for eight seconds. It might be seven-and-a-half seconds too long, but since I can’t expect my phone to also cook, wash my clothes and let me travel into the future, I might have to recalibrate my expectations.
In the video above, a Microsoft employee demonstrates how fast it takes to boot up Windows 8 in a new “fast start-up” mode. And it seems pretty fast. Why hello, Emily.
(MORE: Will Windows 8 Mark the End of the Post-PC Era?)
Now let’s talk geek. In order to achieve “fast start-up” mode, Microsoft basically sets the computer’s kernel to hibernate, which is typical during shutdown. A cold power-off and restart would probably take a little longer—about eight seconds, the company surmises. That’s eight more you can scan the boob tube while you wait.
The faster boot time is supposed to benefit all PCs, whether you’re running an old school hard drive or a snappy SSD in your computing rig. There’s nothing available figure-wise to see whether SSDs will benefit the most, or if both types will deliver the same response times, though we expect those questions to be answered in due time.
And for all you luddites reading this, just remember: that’s only eight seconds you’ll have to be tortured by the latest episode of True Blood.
[via YouTube]
MORE: Check Out These New Windows 8 Features and Screenshots
Erica Ho is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.