The folks behind the quick booting Splashtop environment are introducing a major update this week. Splashtop is basically a light weight Linux environment that loads in about 10 seconds on a machine with an Intel Atom processor, allowing you to load a web browser, make a call with Skype, chat on IM, or perform other activities in less time than it normally takes to launch Windows. Splashtop coexists with Windows though, so if you don’t want to use it, you never have to load it.
Splashtop 2.0 features a redesigned application dock that you can now customize by adding your favorite applications and web sites. You can also change the default wallpaper, which is more than you can do in Windows 7 Starter Edition, which is the version of Windows that ships with most netbooks today.
There’s also a new “instant search” feature that lets you start a web search before the browser is even open. DeviceVM says Splashtop 2.0 is also faster, touch-optimized, and works better with 3G wireless broadband connections.
The first netbook to ship with the new version of Splashtop will be the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t convertible touchscreen model. But upcoming netbooks from Asus, Acer, and HP will also ship with the software.
