HyperSpace is an instant-on Linux-based[1] operating system that has been developed by Phoenix Technologies.[2] It is an application environment that can run either independently or side-by-side with a traditional operating system such as Microsoft Windows.
In January 2009, Asus announced HyperSpace would be incorporated into its next-generation notebooks.[3] Hyperspace was re-launched at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.[4] The company later announced that HyperSpace has been optimized for the Cortex-A8 ARM processor architecture.[5][6]
In June 2010, Phoenix announced that it had sold the HyperSpace intellectual property to HP.[7]
HyperSpace provided a Linux-based environment that can be accessed from startup or using a shortcut from within a Windows environment. Its user interface features a home screen with access to widgets and applications (including a Mozilla Firefox-derived web browser, an office suite, and RealPlayer among others).[8][9] Phoenix claimed that HyperSpace could extend a notebook's battery life by 25%.[8]
There were three SKUs of HyperSpace:[10][8][11]
HyperSpace is stored in a hidden partition; the Windows partition is mounted read-only using the NTFS-3G driver, but a UnionFS overlay is applied to the My Documents folder for partial read-write access. When the user resumes Windows from HyperSpace, a device driver reads changes to the filesystem via a journal, and commits them to disk.[13][11]
Phoenix offered HyperSpace as subscription-based software, and also partnered with OEMs such as Asus, Gigabyte, and Samsung Electronics to offer the software for their devices.[9]