Intel targets netbooks with new operating system
Intel has released the second version of its Moblin operating system for mobile devices. It hopes the system could steal some of Microsoft’s share of the growing market for netbooks.
When Intel unveiled its plans for the Linux-based system last month, the emphasis was on selling an integrated package of hardware and software for device managers. The firm particularly stressed the quick boot-up time of Moblin (currently five seconds with a goal of two seconds) as making it suitable for devices such as in-car computer systems.
However, much of the hype now is centered on the possibilities of using Moblin to power netbooks. The advantages it appears to offer – solid design, good integration with hardware and a crisp smartphone-style user interface – would seem like natural solutions to the problems many retailers of netbooks running other Linux-based systems have seen, with (disputed) accounts of high return rates.
Of course, the project isn’t just a case of Intel doing its bit for the open source community. Moblin is specifically designed to work with Intel’s Atom chip – and it will either not work as well or at all with chips from rival firms.
While Intel may be making friends in the Linux world, Moblin represents the start of potential hostilities with some major players. A strong netbook push would not only be the first time Intel has seriously competed in a software market with Microsoft, but would also put them in opposition to Google’s promotion of its Android system.
Intel may find that it launches Moblin 2.0 at a particularly competitive time. If Microsoft’s claims that Windows 7 is slimline enough to power netbooks without any problems prove correct, the firm will no doubt make a major push to get it onto new models.
Still, given recent European competition rulings, a battle between Intel and Microsoft probably won’t do either firm any political harm.
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May 21st, 2009
What’s Microsoft going to do, make versions of Windows that won’t run on Atom?
The Netbook market has reached sufficient mass where we should see some interesting models, probably some with internal 3G being marketed on the wireless side. If a carrier allowed a pairing for the amount they allow a second family phone it would be pretty popular.
The latest smart phones make things like web surfing tolerable, but only a deluded fanboy thinks watching a movie or reading an ebook is a quality experience. It makes more sense for Apple to use the iPhone side of the business to snag Netbook share.
May 21st, 2009
“However, much of the hype now is centered on the possibilities of using Moblin to power netbooks. The advantages it appears to offer – solid design, good integration with hardware and a crisp smartphone-style user interface [...]”
This would have Intel emulating Apple, only in the low end of the market, and one can imagine the angst that this is causing in Redmond. Will “Wintel” become instead “Lintel”?