MeeGo: Cheat Sheet

What is MeeGo? Get the lowdown on the open source lovechild of Intel and Nokia...

MeeGo? MeeGo where?
Nowhere. Sit down. I'm going to tell you about the new MeeGo operating system.

Oh alright. So tell me what this MeeGo operating system is all about then?
MeeGo is an open source Linux mobile operating system created earlier this year when chipmaker Intel and mobile handset giant Nokia merged their respective Linux projects, Moblin and Maemo, into a single offering. The birth of MeeGo was announced in February at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow.

Hang on, when exactly did Intel and Nokia get married? I must have missed that.
The love-in predates the birth of MeeGo by several months. The pair decided to enter into a long-term strategic partnership in June 2009 - to collaborate on Linux-based open source projects.

The two companies started out saying they would co-operate on developing common applications for their respective Linux software environments. As it turned out, all that working together led to the conclusion they were simply better off putting their Linux eggs in one basket.

Was there not much difference between Moblin and Maemo then?
Yes there was - but apparently it was a complementary difference.

The Nokia N900 running Maemo
(Photo credit: Nokia)

Intel's Moblin - a Fedora-based Linux effort - was being developed mostly with an eye on netbooks and MIDs (mobile internet devices). Nokia's Maemo on the other hand - which was based on the Debian Linux distribution - targeted a category of devices Nokia called "internet tablets" or even "mobile computers", so basically also MIDs: gadgets such as the N800 and N900.

The key here is the pooling of resources. Intel and Nokia decided they were better off joining development forces to compete in the mobile space - giving them one OS that could be used across smartphones, netbooks and other mobile devices.

For mobile phones and smartphones, Nokia has traditionally used another open source effort - the (originally proprietary) Symbian OS. However since MeeGo's birth Nokia has made it clear the platform will be used for its future high-end, flagship handsets such as its N-Series devices, leaving Symbian to pick up the 'value end' of the portfolio. Symbian cut its teeth on small screens, in a talk-and-text mobile world - and, despite going open source, there's so far been no glorious renaissance for the OS.

OK, but I'm still a bit confused. Why do Intel and Nokia need to join forces - why not stick with Maemo and Moblin and just develop compatible apps?
Well, there are lots of factors in play. For a start, competition in the smartphone space is extremely fierce since Apple raised the bar with iPhone and iOS, and Google jumped in with the Android open source effort.

Nokia has seen its smartphone marketshare being eroded by Apple, Android and others, so doing cool new stuff and doing it quickly has never been so important to the company. You also need to factor in the rise of apps as a key differentiator for smartphone platforms - another snake in Nokia's mobile paradise. The company has put considerable effort into its Ovi app store but it's still trailing Apple in app numbers, ease of use and the ability to attract and retain developers.

Speaking in May this year, Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo highlighted the importance of MeeGo, telling shareholders: "We are working hard to reclaim leadership in high-end smartphones and mobile computers," adding: "It is critical that we improve the customer experience with the usability of both our devices and our services."

Another key trend in play is around...

...hardware - new devices have pushed into the mobile space over the last few years, from the low-powered laptops called netbooks to, most recently, tablets such as Apple's iPad. Smartphones meanwhile have also been getting more and more powerful, with chipsets such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon. Some of these handsets are akin to mini-tablets in form and function - a far cry from the average candybar Nokia.

This broader and more powerful range of mobile devices means there are new opportunities for companies to exploit - and new demands on the software powering the devices. By getting together, Intel and Nokia are attempting to fashion a strategy that's better suited to the new world order and more likely to build developer momentum.

Specifically, though, what's in it for each of them?
From Nokia's point of view, by merging Maemo with Moblin it gets an OS with more breadth - able to range across high end smartphones, plus tablets, netbooks and more. From Intel's point of view, the smartphone space has proved rather resistant to its charms, with rival chipmaker's ARM chips dominating. And while Intel has cleaned up in the netbook space with its Atom chipset, Apple's iPad is ARM-based so there's clearly no room for complacency.

Intel has been readying Moorestown, a new chip it's aiming at smartphones and tablets. By joining forces with Nokia it's probably hoping to make a bigger splash in mobile.

Intel's Atom processor Z6xx and platform controller hub, MP20
(Photo credit: Nokia)

It should also be noted that Intel has not stipulated MeeGo be exclusively chained to its x86 chips, meaning the MeeGo OS could run on ARM or Qualcomm hardware too. Why is Intel being so generous? Because openness can help with consumer adoption, as Google's Android has shown.

So tell me more about MeeGo. Are there any MeeGo-based devices in the market yet?
Nothing on the shop shelves, no. The first smartphone to run MeeGo is set to be the Nokia N9, which has a possible launch date of Q4 this year.

A prototype MeeGo tablet was shown off at the Computex trade show in June - so expect plenty of slate-based hardware in future as well. There have even been - rather inevitably - rumours of Nokia making its own MeeGo tablet.

On the netbook front, MeeGo v1.0 - released in May - was primarily targeted at mini laptops. Back in June, Novell said Suse MeeGo will be pre-installed on netbooks from a variety of manufacturers over the coming year.

Meanwhile MeeGo v1.1 - due in October - will target tablet and handheld devices. The OS platform has a six-monthly update roadmap.

Other device types which MeeGo is designed to address include media phones - that is, combined telephone and video calling handsets; in-vehicle infotainment systems; and connected TVs.

There will be different GUIs for each category of MeeGo device - with the netbook UI, for instance, resembling Intel's Moblin UI, while smartphones will draw from Nokia's Qt application development framework.

Anything else worth knowing?
Well as a matter of fact there is. This month Intel and Nokia renewed their vows - by opening a joint research centre based at the University of Oulu, in Finland where a team of 24 researchers will work on developing new mobile user interfaces based on 3D technology.

Discussing the collaboration, Mika Setälä, director of strategy alliances and partnerships at Nokia, said: "We are really utilising this MeeGo platform in our development and the reason for that is MeeGo is an open source architecture and that enables us to create this flexibility to develop 3D virtual platform for the handsets."

So openness equals flexibility and that - hopefully for Intel and Nokia - means innovation which in turn should lead to increased consumer adoption. Shifting more hardware is ultimately the apple of both their eyes.