Innovation in Linux Moblin by Intel

Intel has announced a new OS, Moblin, specifically designed for notebooks and optimized for the atom processor. The Moblin OS is based on Linux, but unlike Linux UI designs I've seen in the past, Moblin takes a fresh approach to managing applications, workspaces and media. It's specifically designed for the small screens of notebooks with pleasing aesthetic, based on what I've seen in the ars technica review and on moblin.org.

Comments

[Anderson]

From what I've read, Moblin was designed for netbooks. Because of their small screens and limited functionality, a more appropriate UI was needed (much like iPhone OS). An article I read depicted Intel as frustrated that netbooks were being presented (and mistaken) as notebooks, which contributed to high return rates. I imagine Moblin has to do with that vested interest. The UI seems tailored for the types of things that mobile devices are designed for, is free, and looks fun!

[Keith Lang]

Totally agree Anderson — this design was driven by the constraint of a small screen typically found on a notebook, but I'm happy to see the innovation nevertheless!

At this budget end of the market, Microsoft Windows would be a relatively larger part of the purchase price, so I can see that driving the desire to have these machines ship with Linux on them as well.