Like most people nowadays, I have a selection of electronic devices that have become part of the fabric of my life. I have certain expectations: I want a device to do what it is supposed to do. I want it to be easy to use. I am after reliability. I want it to consume the minimum amount of power – either to conserve battery life or to simply be environmentally friendly. Lastly, I want the device to be available and ready to use when I want it.
As such devices are generally embedded systems, my requirements are generally met [or not!] by the software. It is the last of my criteria, and the influence that software might have on it, that I find particularly interesting…
There are a selection of factors that can affect the availability and readiness of a device. Obviously, it has to be affordable and compatible with the rest of my world. For a portable device, its power consumption affects availability, as a dead battery can be something of a show stopper. But a really key parameter is start up time. How fast a device starts up can have a significant effect upon its usability.
