When you press the power button on your computer, a lot happens in the first 10 seconds. The fans spin, a light blinks, and then—seemingly by magic—your operating system loads.
Named in 1975 by Gary Kildall (yes, the same guy who arguably lost the PC-OS war to Microsoft), the BIOS is the first software your computer runs. It’s burned onto a chip on your motherboard—not stored on your hard drive. bios 1000
And no, that’s not a typo for “BIOS 1000” as in a college course. But by the time you finish this post, you’ll know enough to pass the final exam. Basic Input/Output System. When you press the power button on your
But before Windows or macOS ever appears, another piece of software takes the stage. It’s old, it’s small, and it’s absolutely essential. It’s called the . It’s burned onto a chip on your motherboard—not