Windows 8 boot screens get a classy new look

One of the many notable new features in Windows 8 is how quickly it boots - it can start up in under seven seconds, in fact. With such a short booting time, what will you get instead of a ton of speeding BIOS text?

With Windows 8, Microsoft does away with the scrolling BIOS messages of the past. Instead, all you'll see is a high-resolution logo of your PC's manufacturer. As Microsoft explains on its Windows 8 blog, "Firmware renders the logo during POST, the logo persists on screen when Windows boot takes over, and remains through OS boot. In effect, we are bridging two experiences (firmware + operating system) to deliver one experience..."

("Bridging two experiences"? Holy mother of buzzwords, Batman!)

The loading screen isn't the only tweak to the startup process. If you try to boot from a USB drive, for example, you no longer have to delve into BIOS menus - you can get to device boot options directly from the login option menu. And if you have a dual-boot setup, you'll also get a simple option menu asking you to pick which OS you want to use.

Both are featured on a straightforward Metro-style blue screen. The awkward loading text is more or less hidden from the interface, unless you choose to use the command prompt.

Windows 8 review