Originally posted on March 4, 2010 @ 9:49 pm
Well, this was unexpected. Nokia and Intel, the companies behind the Maemo Linux-based OS for Nokia Internet Tablets like the Nokia N900, and the Moblin Linux interface for netbooks, have announced that they’re merging the two projects to form one operating system designed for netbooks, tablets, mobile devices, in-vehicle entertainment systems, and internet-connected televisions.
The new OS will be called MeeGo. While nobody has any idea how the new OS will look like or how it is going to run, they have announced that the first version of MeeGo will be available by the end of March. The Nokia N900 will be compatible with MeeGo. Applications from the Intel AppUp Center and Nokia Ovi Store should be able to run on the platform. The Linux Foundation will be hosting the project.
I honestly like this. Moblin has one of the best interfaces of any OS, hands down. In fact, if there was a Moblin-based OS compatible with my Asus Eee PC 701, I would’ve installed it right away, no questions asked. I haven’t tried Maemo yet, though, but everyone who’s used a Nokia N900 attests to it being a rock-solid OS capable of taking over Nokia’s powerhorse mobile OS, Symbian. I do remember of plans of moving the whole N Series from Symbian to Maemo. I wonder if this will still happen or if we’ll see MeeGo-based Nokia phones by next year.
Once the first stable version of this OS comes out, I am seriously going to give it a spin. What about you guys? Are you looking forward to MeeGo, or are you going to pass this time?
[via]