Intel intro's app launching accelerator

The chip giant's Application Launch Accelerator software algorithm is intended to provide PC users with the ability to launch apps much quicker. "Application Launch Accelerator technology makes your PC work smarter, not harder, by minimising time-consuming disk seek operations using an innovative defragmentation technique," said Dan Russell, director of platform marketing for Intel's desktop products group.

The tool - developed with the help of hard drive makers including Quantum, Seagate and Western Digital - works by arranging sequentially the data blocks used in launching applications, rather than arranging them in consecutive clusters as is usual in defragmentation.

Intel claims that internal testing on Pentium II-based systems showed Microsoft Windows 95 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint launching in 3.7 seconds, compared to 11.3 seconds without the technology.