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IBM Using iPod to boot Linux on PCs
Applejack writes "Looks like iPod fever has caught on to Big Blue. IBM has a yet unreleased iPod-based software for rescue, restore, and recovery of failed Windows PCs. I read this description of the software on Amit Singh's blog, whose group at IBM apparently created this stuff. If I understand this correctly (and I think I do), the iPod contains IBM's rescue software along with Linux. A crashed PC boots into Linux from the iPod, after which you get all kinds of rescue & restore functionality ... web browsing and all, even if the PC's drive is totally hosed. All this while the iPod keeps working normally as a music player as it would. The blog has pointers to further information, including a Windows Media demo of the thing. " Should be noted this is not iPod specific; USB devices will do.
Cool. Now I can write off my iPod as a "tool of trade" on my taxes!
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But it begs the question: why would anyone in their right mind boot to Linux to recover a windows machine?
If you have a wayward Windows machine (or think you might have in the future), get this and stick it on a CD or USB Key.
It's got many more windows-centric tools than the Linux liveCDs including anitivirus, malware removers, registry editor/recovery, NTFS defraggers, WPA tools, network support, web browsing, etc...