Intel's MeeGo To Expand To Notebooks And Desktops: What's Next For The Linux OS?
MeeGo. YouGo. WeGo. But where does MeeGo...go? Confusion aside, there's
word on the street that Intel's new MeeGo (which was the end product
when Nokia's Maemo and Intel's Moblin were combined) could be destined
for more than it was originally intended for. Or maybe we just all got
the wrong idea from the start. Initially, MeeGo was setup to fit on
MIDs, UMPCs, and possibly even Tablet PCs or Slate PCs. It was a
lightweight operating system; something that could go on a pocket
device that would last 6-12 hours on a charge, yet not be responsible
for handling heavy-duty chores such as video editing and such.
According to a company executive this week, though, there will eventually be a version of MeeGo that supports "mainstream laptops and desktops," which is bold, brave move in every regard. Only Apple and Google have thus far dared to step to Microsoft in the desktop/notebook OS space, with OS X having less than 10% of global market share and Chrome OS still in development. For Intel to come forward and confess that they will be bringing yet another Linux-based system into the fold is downright shocking.
To date, no version of Linux has managed to catch on with the mainstream public. It's widely used in enterprise and Web hosting, but hardly ever in homes. MeeGo, however, could be the Linux build that actually has a change. If kept simple, consumers may bite, particularly if this launches first on Intel-based netbooks. The good thing about having Intel being this OS is that the company is likely to make sure things remain compatible; many printers, GPUs, etc. aren't compatible with many Linux operating systems, but with Intel behind MeeGo, we bet many of those issues vanish.
Doug Fisher, vice president of the software and services group at Intel, confirmed that the company plans to "release an edition of Meego for entry-level desktops that will also work with mainstream laptops and desktops running on Intel's faster Core processors," but no specific launch date was given. Another thing to consider here is that MeeGo is obviously flexible; there may end up being a MeeGo for tablets, a MeeGo for MIDs, a MeeGo for set-top boxes and a MeeGo for notebooks. MeeGo everywhere? Maybe.
According to a company executive this week, though, there will eventually be a version of MeeGo that supports "mainstream laptops and desktops," which is bold, brave move in every regard. Only Apple and Google have thus far dared to step to Microsoft in the desktop/notebook OS space, with OS X having less than 10% of global market share and Chrome OS still in development. For Intel to come forward and confess that they will be bringing yet another Linux-based system into the fold is downright shocking.
To date, no version of Linux has managed to catch on with the mainstream public. It's widely used in enterprise and Web hosting, but hardly ever in homes. MeeGo, however, could be the Linux build that actually has a change. If kept simple, consumers may bite, particularly if this launches first on Intel-based netbooks. The good thing about having Intel being this OS is that the company is likely to make sure things remain compatible; many printers, GPUs, etc. aren't compatible with many Linux operating systems, but with Intel behind MeeGo, we bet many of those issues vanish.
Doug Fisher, vice president of the software and services group at Intel, confirmed that the company plans to "release an edition of Meego for entry-level desktops that will also work with mainstream laptops and desktops running on Intel's faster Core processors," but no specific launch date was given. Another thing to consider here is that MeeGo is obviously flexible; there may end up being a MeeGo for tablets, a MeeGo for MIDs, a MeeGo for set-top boxes and a MeeGo for notebooks. MeeGo everywhere? Maybe.
