Eee PC boots Linux in 5 seconds

To show that you don't need any high-end hardware to do it, some Intel Linux programmers have shown an Eee PC booting Linux in 5 seconds at a Linux conference.

And there's no cheating involved - this is the time it takes untile both CPU and Flash disk are idle.
(Unlike those methods that show you a working desktop but keep loading stuff for a very long time after it.)

If a modest Eee PC can do it, how can one explain why modern operating systems take such a long time to boot even on a high-end quad CPU?

Let's hope all other programmers out there will keep a close eye on this "speed record" and use some of that info to speed up their own projects.