Forget the Microsoft Windows 7 beta. The alpha version of Moblin, an open source-based Linux operating system designed specifically for netbooks, is out.
The preliminary version of the Moblin 2 OS has been specifically created for netbooks that run Intel's company's Atom processor.
The idea is to build a new experience for netbook users, who so far have been buying netbooks loaded with either Microsoft's Windows XP or a Linux flavor OS. It could also help notebook makers maintain their price margins by building greater differentiation among their devices.
Inexpensive lightweight netbooks have become one of the fastest growing categories in the PC industry. The Moblin project sponsored by Intel among others attempts to create an OS specifically designed for a netbook processor that will be offer users a better experience on these tiny devices.
Earlier this month, Rahul Sood, chief technology officer for HP's Voodoo Business Unit complained on his blog that netbooks in their current form could kill PC innovation.
Netbooks were designed as companions for laptops and desktops but increasingly users are buying them as their primary device. That means users get a stripped down version of a notebook that doesn't entirely give them a satisfactory experience, says Sood.
Operating systems created specifically to take advantage of a netbook's processor such as Intel's Atom could help change that. It could also make it easier for notebook manufacturers and chip makers to prevent cannabilization among their products. "How do you differentiate the higher performance machines from the netbook equipped systems?," asks Sood.
Netbooks with their own customized OS could help create more distinct products. It's also one of the reasons that Intel has been actively supporting Moblin offering it the resources needed to optimize the OS for Atom processor.
The alpha release of Moblin 2 is the first chance for interested users to start multiple-level testing of the core Linux OS including the boot process, the connectivity and networking manager and the user interface development tools. The software has been tested on the Acer Aspire One, Asus eeePC 901 and the Dell Mini 9.
The release may not be something that Joe the plumber would want on his on his netbook yet, but as the user interface for Moblin develops it could become a viable alternative to XP and other Linux distributions, says Ars Technica.
Photo: (ekosystem.org/Flickr)
