An in-vehicle computing device comprising: a processor; and a storage device storing instructions for initializing an operating system of the in-vehicle computing device, the instructions being executable by the processor to: start a service-loading process; load critical services via the service-loading process, wherein the loaded critical services are services critical to the functioning of the operating system; launch a human-machine interface, after loading the critical services; launch a last-used application via the human-machine interface, wherein the last-used application is the last application that was active prior to the in-vehicle computing device being shut off; launch remaining services only responsive to requests for use of the remaining services; receive a notification of a driver that is to be used, wherein use of the driver is requested by the service-loading process and/or another initialization application or process; initialize the driver; and selectively initialize hardware instances supported by the driver based on a stage of initialization associated with each of the hardware instances supported by the driver, the stage of initialization indicating a relative time at which a hardware instance will be initialized by the system. a processor; and a storage device storing instructions for initializing an operating system of the in-vehicle computing device, the instructions being executable by the processor to: start a service-loading process; load critical services via the service-loading process, wherein the loaded critical services are services critical to the functioning of the operating system; launch a human-machine interface, after loading the critical services; launch a last-used application via the human-machine interface, wherein the last-used application is the last application that was active prior to the in-vehicle computing device being shut off; launch remaining services only responsive to requests for use of the remaining services; receive a notification of a driver that is to be used, wherein use of the driver is requested by the service-loading process and/or another initialization application or process; initialize the driver; and selectively initialize hardware instances supported by the driver based on a stage of initialization associated with each of the hardware instances supported by the driver, the stage of initialization indicating a relative time at which a hardware instance will be initialized by the system. start a service-loading process; load critical services via the service-loading process, wherein the loaded critical services are services critical to the functioning of the operating system; launch a human-machine interface, after loading the critical services; launch a last-used application via the human-machine interface, wherein the last-used application is the last application that was active prior to the in-vehicle computing device being shut off; launch remaining services only responsive to requests for use of the remaining services; receive a notification of a driver that is to be used, wherein use of the driver is requested by the service-loading process and/or another initialization application or process; initialize the driver; and selectively initialize hardware instances supported by the driver based on a stage of initialization associated with each of the hardware instances supported by the driver, the stage of initialization indicating a relative time at which a hardware instance will be initialized by the system.