I sat down with Pankaj Kedia today. Pankaj is responsible for ecosystem development for the ultra mobility group at Intel and plays an important role in interfacing with software developers and bringing their products into ultra mobile devices. I took ten minutes to ask him a number of questions about MeeGo. We talk about timescales, strategy, opportunities and I ask about a developer conference; a question I will definitely follow-up because having experienced the excellent Maemo Summit in 2009, it makes perfect sense to run a similar event or roadshow in 2010.
Summary of responses from Pankaj:
Talks about the synergy between Maemo and Moblin. More Robust OS with the same API to make it easier for developers.
Takes us one step closer to our visions.
Hundreds of people at Intel working on Moblin.
15 OSV’s (Operating System Vendors) committed to Moblin.
‘One plus One greater than two’
First version of MeeGo is ‘MeeGo Version 1’
Release in Q2
Roadmap will be accelerated
5, 7, 10 year strategy.
Big opportunity for Intel
Each segment is fragement looking for a standards based software stack.
Ovi and Intel App Store Framework will remain separate.
Intel and Nokia have a long history of collaboration and if you look back to the early days of kernel builds for Moblin 1.0 you’ll find Nokia engineers in the mix. It was never a big secret that the stacks, the association with the Linux Foundation and the focus towards ‘Mobile Computers’ meant that the two companies were working towards the same goal. Minor differences in Linux stack meant that a shift by Moblin over to the QT UI framework (revealed at DevMob 2010 this year) was the last bit of information that I needed to prompt me into sending out the following tweet.
“Here’s a wild thought -> Moblin for handhelds and Maemo 6 will merge under Linux Foundation late 2010. “
Clearly I was wrong about the timing but the rest was spot on. Now we have MeeGo.
With Intel’s 700-strong team of Moblin contributors and a huge number of Maemo contributors we’re instantly looking at one of (if not the) biggest Linux development efforts in the world. All that needs to be done now is to add the 3rd party applications and to get the OEMs on board. MeeGo is the sign that the marketing effort for app developers and customers has begun. Intel and Nokia want to be the serious alternative to Android across mobile computers.
Many new questions are raised here about the joint marketing effort that will start now. How will the two companies bring together their developer communities? Will they merge their app-store frameworks? Will we see joint efforts on the hardware? Is Intel contributing software to a killer ARM-based MeeGo device in 2011 or have they secured hardware deals for the future platforms? How will this balance-shift towards Europe affect the developer community and marketing teams? What will the roadmap look like now?
In terms of devices, nothing can change. The LG GW990 will launch in the second half of 2010 and Nokia have to move forward with their next MeeGo-based smartphone. Maybe nothing needs to change though. This is just a deal-seal and huge huge marketing message to Google. Intel and Nokia want to work together to make the best mobile computers in the world.
We were expecting (a beta release of) Moblin 2.1 for handhelds before end of 2009 but it didn’t turn up. In a search this morning, however, found this. It’s a month old but it’s a build of Moblin for the Poulsbo chipset. Specifically for the Congatec In-Vehicle Infotainment board based on the Z530/Poulsbo. This could be useful for those looking for a slim Linux build for Menlow-based devices.
Sure enough, on my Kohjinsha SK3 it booted but it ended up with a messed up screen resolution. I’m heading out of the door for DevMob 2010 now so don’t have time to test on other devices so if any of you out there have time, let us know how it goes for your Menlow-based device.
The article mentions a full release in early Q1. So right about NOW then!
Any Moblin team members out there care to update us on final release details?
For those of you with netbooks running Windows in the U.S. or Canada, you might be interested in testing out the Intel AppUp applications store. If you haven’t heard the news, it’s a full app store with a purchase system and an account that tracks your apps and allows you to re-download them if necessary. There isn’t much in the store right now (approx 100 apps) but I don’t think it will take long for developers to start modifying and submitting the applications they have already written for the Windows platform.
So far, I’m seeing a very interesting platform that when extended across smartphones, mids, netbooks and TV’s has huge potential in market segments that could total hundreds of millions of potential end-users. Already there are tens of millions of netbooks out there so if you’re a developer you need to be taking a close look at this.
Two items of news related to Linux support on the Menlow platorm have caught my attention in the last 24 hours. Both news items are related to the Ubuntu Linux distribution.
Menlow is the Intel platform that many MIDs, UMPCs and even netbooks and laptops have been built around in the last 12 months. It’s focused towards very low power consumption, video playback acceleration and 3D support in the smallest possible size.
Up until now, the only official operating systems that have supported the platform have been Moblin 1 (via Intel. Largely a static project now) and Windows XP, Vista and 7. Trying to use any of the latest popular Linux distributions on any of these devices results in problems.
Ubuntu, the Linux distribution run by Canonical, has always had a close relationship with UMPCs and MIDs. They did some work on Moblin 1 with the Ubuntu-MID distribution but that project is now static. Then there was Ubuntu-Mobile which turned into Ubuntu UMPC. Again, this project stopped. The Ubuntu Netbook Remix project also started and this is the one that has been focused on over the last 12 months. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any support for the graphics/video part on Menlow known as ‘Poulsbo’. The same is true of Moblin 2. Intel dropped support for the MID platform.
The good news is that there are people out there working to fix the problem. The latest information is that one ‘lucazade’ has rolled up everything that is needed into a few scripts and has even set up a repository that can be used to pick up the correct drivers. Full information at the bottom of this post.
The second bit of good news is that Jolicloud, the Ubuntu-based distribution targeted at netbooks, is also checking out support for GMA500. This message went out yesterday:
team is testing internally the poulsbo (gma 500) support in the next jolicloud release, we will look soon for testers.
Naturally we’ve already been in contact with the Jolicloud team about this and plan to bring you some more information shortly.
Despite all this third-party activity and end-user requirement (about 30 Menlow-based devices exist in the market right now) Intel has never really talked about Menlow support. We’ve seen Moblin 2.1 for handhelds running on Menlow and seen the Linux Foundation demonstrating it but I can’t get any statement out of them on the subject.
Based on what we’ve seen and heard I would put money on being able to run the open source beta release of Moblin 2.1 for handhelds on Menlow (purely because there’s no other platform available for developers to test on) and that is supposed to be coming within the next month. I’m also convinced that Moorestown will use the GMA500 so there’s another reason to have drivers available.
Finally, check out some of the emails in the Moblin Developer mailing list. This is an interesting one for example. (from 15th Nov.)
If you know of other Linux distributions that either work with or are planning GMA500 support (I hear rumors that Mandriva supports GMA500?) let everyone know in the comments. Likewise, if you’re running Linux on a Menlow platform, let us know what you think.
Back at IDF in September we heard a lot about how Intel would be bringing an app store to Windows and Moblin-based netbooks. The Apps store is due to launch early in 2010 but if you want to get a head start on writing apps for a potential 30 Million plus customers (!) then today is your day. The software development kit has arrived.
The goal of the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program Software Development Kit (SDK) is to provide programming framework and libraries that enables the interaction with the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program processes and infrastructure.
The SDK (available here) allows you to program in either C (on Moblin) or C or C++ on Windows.
I’ve written a lot about the IADP on MIDMoves so check this article out (and this one) to find out the IADP and about how to win prizes that include an all-expenses-paid trip to CES!
Intel have set up a big range of resources that you can use too.
Follow the IADP Community Manager on Twitter. @mungara
And don’t forget one of the most important aspects about Moblin – During 2010 you will see the platform extended to handhelds too. The potential market for Moblin is rather large!
No, this isn’t Moblin 2.1 for handhelds but it’s a step in the right direction along the roadmap shown below. As 2.1 for handhelds feeds in (due for a beta release before the end of the year) the two branches of 2.1 should merge to make way for a unified OS that can support MIDs (on Moorestown) UMPCS (with some tweaking of drivers to support Menlow) and the netbooks and nettops that this new release of Moblin is aimed at.
Moblin Roadmap
The new release was announced through a press release and on the Moblin website.
The Moblin™ project steering committee today announces the project release of Moblin v2.1 for Intel Atom* processor-based netbooks and nettops. This project release includes the broadest feature additions, customer requested improvements, and overall polish to date. With this community release you will see significant feature additions and improvements including enhanced browser functionality and plug-in support, UI enhancements, support for 3G data connections, Bluetooth* device management, input method support for localized languages, integrated application installer for the Moblin Garage, performance and stability improvements, and additional overall help and documentation.
Key features of the new build include a new browser, new Intel Linux graphics drivers (anyone able to see what GPUs are supported? PineTrail clues?) 3G support, new Bluetooth capability, the application installer and more.
I’m currently testing Linpus Lite with Moblin 2.0 but it looks like I might have to abort that now and catch up with what is happening in 2.1
P.S. Anyone notice the parallels between Maemo and Moblin. They look like two brands and builds of the same core OS. Any devs out ther care to comment on the similarities in the SDK?
Based on a projected addressable market of well over 400 million units (media phones) and a multi-million pre-existing netbook user base, it would be crazy for software developers to ignore the potential of Moblin, the Intel Atom Developer Program and App-store. Despite that, Intel want to give you even more reason to start early. They are giving away 100 netbooks for the first 100 applications that they accept into the app-store and a grand prize of an all expenses paid tip to CES. [Did someone just drop the hint that the app store will launch in Jan 2010?]
The Intel application developer program is currently free to enter (it will be $99 per year in the future) and you can develop native apps for either Moblin or Windows or use runtime environments like Air or Java.
I would love to hear feedback from anyone going through the Moblin application process so please, write in and tell us about your experiences. What coding skills do you have? How did you find the SDK and documentation? Tips for other developers? If you want to make a more detailed guest post about the IADP, I’ll be happy to send a $50 Amazon gift voucher your way (UK, Germany and US Amazon stores only. Only one article will be accepted for the gift voucher.)
I took MIDMoves to the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco last week with a focus on the three M’s of MIDs, Moblin and Moorestown. IDF is the highlight of my mobile computing year and I was hoping to see Moorestown MIDs being demonstrated, the launch of Moblin 2.0 and a bunch of new products. As it happens, we got the expected Moblin 2.0 launch but didn’t see much in terms of hardware. We did get a few surprises though and as usual, in-depth information that helps us predict what is going to happen in 2010 and 2011. Here’s a summary of the Intel Developer Forum 2009 for a mobile computing perspective.
I’m just a few posts away from completing my Intel Developer Forum 2009 related work now and it’s time to round-up and summarize the news and to try and work out what it means for 2010 and 2011. Power-gating, Mobiln 2.1 and the App Store are just three very important elements but for the full overview, check out an article I’ve just posted at UMPCPortal which goes over everything I learned. I can not deny that it was disappointing not to see more Moorestown prototypes but the news is more than enough to keep my excitement going until the next big event. See you at CES 2010 in January.
You may have already seen the video from IDF where Moblin 2.1 for handhelds was announced and seen the demonstration of Moblin 2.0 on Moorestown but in addition to that we were give a sneak peek at Moblin 2.1 for handhelds running on a (Menlow demonstration) platform. Pankaj Kedia from the Ultra Mobility Group also answers questions about the platform.
Key points to note are:
Launch with Moorestown in 1H 2009
Project open source betas will be available later this year
The Atom Developer Program app-store will be included
Xavier Lanier (GottaBeMobile), Sascha Pallenberg (Netbooknews.com) and I sat down in the final hours of the Intel Developer Forum to talk about what we’d seen in the mobile space. In this video we talk about Moblin and the Intel Application Developer Program, the Viliv S10, Archos 9 and say hello to a mystery man who decided to wander across the set with his dinner!
I wish I had had the chance to spend a few more hours with all the Moblin 2 distributors that were at IDF09 this year but I simply ran out of time and got kicked out of the showcase exhibition as it closed. Sigh!
One company I had the chance to spend quality time with was Linpus. They’ve got at least three versions of a Moblin 2.0-based distribution in progress and they look so much better than the Linux-based netbooks from just a year ago. Linpus have put out a press release (below) but it might be more interesting to watch the video. Linpus Moblin Enhanced is shown at the beginning of the video but there’s a slick looking version at the end too. Both of these should be available for download within two weeks.
Linpus Moblin™ Enhanced based on New Version of Moblin™ Technology Offers Robust Netbook Experiences
San Francisco, California, September 23, 2009 – Today, Linpus Technologies, Inc. released Linpus Moblin™ Enhanced, their 2nd consumer Linux product based on Moblin version 2 technology, an optimized open source Linux operating system project for rich Internet and media experiences on Intel® Atom™ processor based devices.
In the Linpus version the Moblin UI has been enhanced to improve the delivery of key online information. The right side of M-Zone is designed to send live new tweets, messages and photos from your favorite social networking sites such as Twitter, Flickr, Myspace and Last.FM. In Moblin, all this information flows through one tab. Linpus has redesigned this so that each social networking site has its own tab. Linpus has also added a module that that delivers the latest emails from different webmail accounts.
Linpus has also made a number of other improvements:
A robust, commercial LiveUpdate function that can deliver device and manufacturer specific updates.
To the network manager we have added support for numerous 3G modems, WLAN, VPN, and LAN connectivity.
Third party software such as OpenOffice
Support for nettop resolutions.
Dual booting enhancements.
Additionally, Linpus Linux Lite has a number of applications to encourage adoption. If users want to dual boot with Windows, the PIM Sync and Folder Sync applications were created to help the sharing of key information between the two systems. In the case of PIM Sync, it copies a user’s email and calendar information from Outlook, and, in the case of Folder Sync users are able to copy important files, music and videos to Linpus Linux Lite.
“We are really excited by the rich technology provided by Moblin™ technology, specifically, fast-boot and Clutter,” said Rita Jing, vice-president of sales, Linpus Technologies, Inc. “With Moblin technology, we have been able to take the browsing, multimedia and social networking experience to a new level – As well as improving general overall usability.”
Moblin v2 technology, which is currently available for netbooks, is the latest from Moblin.org, an open source community that supports the creation and distribution of Linux-based operating system products for Intel Atom-based platforms, including netbooks, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), nettops, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and embedded systems. Intel launched Moblin in June 2007 and incubated the project until April 2009 when the Linux Foundation became the host of the community. Intel continues to contribute key technologies and work with the developer community to advance the effort.
“The release of Linpus Moblin™ V2 Enhanced is a success for the entire Moblin™ community and for users of Intel® Atom™ processor based netbooks,” said Doug Fisher, vice president of Intel’s Software and Services Group and general manager of the System Software Division. “The Moblin™ community’s efforts enabled Linpus to build a superb consumer Linux product that fully utilizes the latest features of the Intel Atom processor and incorporates the robust Internet and media capabilities that are inherent to Moblin v2 technology.”
Linpus is working with a number of OEMs and ODMs to deliver Linpus Linux Lite to a range of customers in multiple industry segments.
We’re finally getting a look at what the Moorestown MIDphones of the future should offer us. Chippy has a short demonstration of Wind River’s interface running on top of Mobilin. This is designed for MIDs as compared to the standard Moblin which has an interface based around more standard input devices (ie: mouse and keyboard on a netbook). The demo you are about to see below is running on the Inventec MediaPhone that jkk went hands on with at Computex 2009.
While some of the demo looks pretty good, such as the smooth application opening animation, it is also quite disheartening to see that they couldn’t even get the app pages to slide smoothly at this point. Hoping that it won’t end up shipping like this (it doubtfully will).
Spotted in a technical session yesterday, this is a live demo of a working Moorestown MID with a capacative touchscreen running Moblin 2 and a UI developed by Wind River. The device is the Inventec ‘MediaPhone’ seen at Computex 2009. In the first part of the video you’ll see a public demo. We managed to get a private demo and you’ll see that in the second-half of the video.
It looks extremely smooth, well thought out and gives you an example of the sorts of user interfaces and features we’ll see when Moorestown and Moblin 2.1 hit in the middle of 2010.
Don’t cast this off as a ‘me too’ for Intel though, this app store brings some really benefits to the platforms that it will serve.
First of all, Intel’s Atom app store will function on Windows and Moblin. One application written by a developer will run on both of these devices with the help of Microsoft Silverlight and other multi-platform systems such as Adobe Air.
So what’s so great about an app store anyway? An app store has the ability to drive innovative application creation because it let’s developers focus on what they do best: development. By removing the barriers of sale, such as having to devise a secure payment and distribution method for each individual program, developers will be able to flourish. By breaking down these walls, even a single person with a good idea has a chance to make money from users that want their program. This means great applications for the users, and a money making potential for devs, which should draw developers to this platform.
While an app store is a good thing for consumers, it still has some barriers to overcome. An app store works great on something like the iPhone or Android, because these are systems that only run particular applications to begin with. Intel’s app store will be running on Moblin (Linux) and Windows; both x86 platforms which are already capable of running applications that are out there. Intel will need to distribute this app store well if people are going to really take advantage of it. By opening up this app store, Intel is competing against THE app store… not sure what I’m talking about? It’s called the internet. Because these machines are x86, users are used to simply finding and buying a program on the web, something that Intel will need to work hard to undo.
Chippy has posted a video of the Moblin 2.1 at IDF 2009. Moblin is Intel’s open source operating system project for MIDs and netbooks. While it is already up to version 2.1, it has seen very little adoption so far, but Intel is hoping to change that once Moorestown phones start coming to market. Anyway, peek the video below, and I don’t know if you’ll find it equally as funny, but for some reason, the giant cat monster terrorizing people made me chortle.
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I sat down with Pankaj Kedia today. Pankaj is responsible for ecosystem development for the ultra mobility group at Intel and plays an important role in interfacing with software developers and bringing their products into ultra mobile devices. I took ten minutes to ask him a number of questions about MeeGo. We talk about timescales, strategy, opportunities and I ask about a developer conference; a question I will definitely follow-up because having experienced the excellent Maemo Summit in 2009, it makes perfect sense to run a similar event or roadshow in 2010.
