Moblin 2.0 comes out of BETA – now available for download

Moblin 2.0, a Linux OS and an open source project focused on building a Linux-based platform optimized for the next generation of mobile devices including Netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices, and In-vehicle infotainment systems.

[Moblin official website] [Download the final Moblin 2.0 image]

After being available as BETA to the users from past few months, Moblin has finally announced the final version of it. Give it a go guys!

Netbooks and MIDs to create 10 Billion dollar market?

It is not an unknown fact that the netbook and MID market is booming like anything at the moment.

The annual market for the integrated circuits that go into Smartbooks, netbooks and mobile internet devices (MIDs), including application processors, basebands, RF transceivers and others, is going to reach $9.7 billion in 2014, according to the company.

3G netbooks are one of the hottest products right now as people have started to prefer built-in broadband in their netbooks/MIDs.

Presenting Fedora Mini – Lightweight Linux for netbooks

Following the path of Ubuntu, which released Ubuntu NBR few months back, Fedora has also come up with special version customized to netbook environment.

The Fedora Mini SIG is a group of Fedora contributors that are interested in Fedora on small devices. Initially aimed at supporting NetBooks, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), it could over time be expanded to also cover things such as Set Top Boxes (STBs).

Right now, it supports EEE PCs, Aspire One and Dell Mini 9

It is not available for public download at the moment. However, if you are using Fedora 12 (alpha) at the moment, you can test it by typing yum groupinstall “Moblin Desktop Environment” and re-login.

Note: Netbooks with GMA 500 chipset are NOT supported at the moment, although it may be supported in the future, but not for now.

More Maemo based devices coming – Nokia to develop Maemo based devices for high-end segment

Nokia has decided to focus on the development of the Maemo based MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) for the high end mobile computing segment. Few days back, Nokia unveiled Nokia N900 which is based on Maemo platform and now Nokia will releasing even more MIDs in the future

It is unclear whether the upcoming MIDs will have cellphone functionality or not.

MID Conceptual design by Petr Kubik – Design of things to come?

Petr Kubik, a student at Brno University of technology has come with a great looking design that is meant for Mobile Internet Devices. The design makes use of folding screen concept, which basically lets you read webpages like a newspaper.

To do the input, you can use the onscreen virtual keyboard.

Click on read more to see more images.

Nokia will launch Netbook in the Third Quater of 2009

World’s largest phone manufacture, Nokia has finally decided to launch its first netbook in the third quarter of 2009.

According to Commercial Times news-paper, which was quoted by Bloomberg news-agency, in Q3 2009 Nokia will unveil Intel Atom-based netbook as well as Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered smartbook. Quanta will produce the netbook, whereas Compal will manufacture the smartbook for Nokia.

So, this means that although the Nokia is launching its own netbook, but it won’t be making it on their own. Nokia is not all that new in the PC world. Back in the eighties, Nokia produced personal computers by the name of MikroMikko.

It will be interesting to see how the current netbook manufactures react to Nokia’s decision to enter the netbook market.

CONFIRMED: Qualcomm will launch Smartbooks at the end of this year

Qualcomm has confirmed that they will be launching ‘smartbooks’ at the end of this year. Qualcomm will be using their fast Snapdragon processor in their smartbooks as-well-as in their upcoming mobile phones. Qualcomm is pretty sure that it will be able to sell 2.5 billion units by the end of year 2011.

So what makes Smartbooks better than the existing cellphones and MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices)? Smartbooks will give you a very powerful smartphone in your hand and will come with both voice and data capabilities. Unlike netbooks and MIDs, the smartbooks can remain connected all the time. No need of shutting your device down or putting your device into hibernation. All that will all day battery-life and integrated GPS.

Also, we are happy to know that smartbooks will cost less than the existing netbooks. This indicates that the smartbooks should cost less than $400. If they are able to do that, it will be a huge hit among the consumers.

Acer to be the first netbook manufacture to OFFICIALLY launch Google Android Netbooks!

Although myriad of netbook manufactures have announced that they will be making Google Android netbooks, but the Acer is going to be the one that will officially launching them in the year 2009 itself. At first, we thought that it was going to be the ASUS that would launch Android Netbooks at the end of this year, but then we heard about news that they have postponed the production to the next year, 2010.

Jim Wong, Acer’s global president of IT products and services said something which really captured my attention,

‘If we do not continue to change our mobile Internet devices, consumers may not choose then any more.”

But, why would one need to run a mobile phone OS on a netbook? True, it will help them to save few dollars, but then we can achieve (almost) desktop-class productivity when using an OS like Windows XP/Vista/7.

Good news is that Acer is not downgrading the processor to ARM and they have decided to stick with the powerful Intel Atom platform.

Compal reducing R&D support for MIDs – Are they not selling well?

MID (Mobile Internet Devices) is a segment which started along with UMPCs (ultra mobile PCs) and Netbook. Both UMPCs and MIDs simply failed to take off.

The Compal Electronics has reduced its R&D resources specifically allocated for MIDs due to the uncertain business outlook for the segment, according to industry sources.

However, Compal made a wise move by shifting those employees to the netbook R&D segment.