Phoenix Improves PCMCIA Power Management

Power management has traditionally been one of the grand problems of mobile computing. With the proliferation of portable—especially PCMCIA-based—peripherals, the issue of managing this critical resource has become even more pressing.

Phoenix Technologies, a leading firmware developer, recently introduced its answer to this problem. Dubbed NoteBIOS 4.0, the new firmware was designed specifically for portable computers and features advanced capabilities for PCMCIA power management.

Working cooperatively with Phoenix’s PC Card Manager Plus (PCM+), NoteBIOS 4.0 offers simplified access to the power saving features of the software through an icon-based toolbar known as the PowerPanel.

The fast expanding market for PCMCIA-based peripherals, together with their often complex power management configurations, makes tools that are user-accessible highly desirable. For example, many PCMCIA cards continue to draw power from the computer even when not in use. The PowerPanel will include a button that enables users to turn this power off by means of a single click.

Phoenix’s PowerPanel also includes a series of Power Profiles which provides users with “power management recipes,” enabling them to select a complete power configuration based on a type of activity. For example, a person could quickly shift between a power profile suitable for interactive presentations, while later selecting a configuration that better matches the way he or she works on an airplane.

The first notebook computers featuring Phoenix’s NoteBIOS 4.0 will be available later this quarter.

Phoenix Technologies
Margaret Kahnke
2575 McCabe Way
Irvine, CA 92714
(714) 440-8052
(714) 440-8300 (fax)
[email protected]