Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail

Summary: I have a bad feeling about this Nokia-Intel thing called Meego.

By Dana Blankenhorn for Linux and Open Source | February 15, 2010 -- 05:50 GMT (21:50 PST)

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I have a bad feeling about this Nokia-Intel thing called Meego. My spidey sense is tingling.

Let's start with the name. OK, you're combining Nokia's Maemo with the Linux Foundation-hosted Moblin. But Meego? Who came up with this, the eTrade babies?

Second, this is aimed not just at Intel's chips, but those of ARM? When was the last time Intel gave first class support to someone else's chip, and can you riddle me this while you're at it -- why should they?

Third, let's look at the partners.

Intel doesn't do consumer software. Their relationships with Taiwanese OEMs remain poor.
Nokia dropped the ball in mobile a half-decade ago and still hasn't found it.
The Linux Foundation.

Linux.com is now owned by the Linux Foundation and they insist "the magic is back." They're right. Let's watch a bunch of money disappear and you get blamed for it.

This is not just me being snarky. Let's look at the home page of the new project. See the third bar down? Read it -- Learn about Meego at the Collaboration Summit. The next Collaboration Summit is in April~~November~~, at (wait for it) the Kabuki Hotel in San Francisco.

I can't make this stuff up. I'm not that good.

Let me play straight for a minute. Right now Taiwanese OEMs and their Chinese partners are finalizing designs for CompuTex in June. MeeGo does not even have a reference platform, let alone one written in clear, concise English, to show these people.

Which means you're waiting at least another product cycle before you can get into the game.

The summer selling season is going to come and go with a ton of Android kit, with Chromium delivered, with iPad fever and whatever Blackberry and Microsoft have up their sleeves, and with MeeGo where?

The New York Times has all the corporate intrigue details right. But I'm not making a corporate intrigue argument. I'm asking, when was the last time any of these players succeeded at anything like this?

Oh, and who's in charge?

My advice to Jim Zemlin is to find an entrepreneur who knows how to herd cats fast, and bring them on board. Preferably someone fluent in Mandarin, who can read Traditional Chinese characters.

Wish I had a name for you.

Topics: Linux, Intel, Nokia, Open Source, Operating Systems, Software

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20 comments

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on the contrary

this will divert funds from M$ backed platforms toward Linux, where the best distro wins.

Linux Geek
15 February, 2010 06:00

Reply Vote
- why should I buy something
 
 that is even not comparable to Chrome OS based netbook or Android
 Tablet (forget about better engineered Microsoft Windows slate platform
 or Apple iPad for a moment) cheaper and better supported by much
 bigger corporate entity than Linux Foundation. I see even average Linux
 enthusiast would buy google product than Nokia MeeGo.
 --Ram--
 
 Ram U
 15 February, 2010 13:20
 
 Reply Vote
 - in answer to the first part of your question
 
 because Chrome OS and Android are both forms of spyware for Google. Use them at your own risk.
 
 jorjitop
 15 February, 2010 13:48
 
 Reply Vote
 - RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail
 
 Nokia set Linux up for<a href="http://www.sixtyfour81.com/"> about it</a> is bank that <a href="http://www.stopthecoalition.com/">website</a> attacked from the <a href="http://www.mediabanger.com/">site support</a> from any soldier <a href="http://pikeplacepolitics.com/">site</a> to the light <a href="http://www.brawlnball.com/">home page</a> is great MeeGo
 
 musdahi
 18 October, 2011 23:47
 
 Reply Vote
- RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail
 
 Nokia gain a partner with the sincere intent to develop Linux-driven product. That sincerety has been manifest in<a href="http://ipadbagblog.com/"> ipad bag blog</a><a href="http://www.sutudeg.org/"> sutudeg </a> <a href="http://wposfv.com/">education news</a> and<a href="http://www.pcloshwdb.com/"> pclos hwdb</a> Moblin.<a href="http://www.sutudeg.org/"> l</a>
 
 edward polling
 6 June, 2011 21:10
 
 Reply Vote
I do not like the looks of it either. First Maemo was good when it was GTK

based, but, the switch to Qt was not good, and it has
been down hill ever since. Now, they want to combine it
with a company that only wants it to work with x86.
Double trouble!

DonnieBoy
15 February, 2010 06:35

Reply Vote
- Wait what?
 
 You have used a version of maemo based on QT? Im impressed seeing as the current version of maemo, maemo 5 is entirely written in gtk. In fact the official nokia QT release only came out today, the currently supported version is a community version of qt 4.5.
 So its all been downhill since that switch that hasnt taken place yet, ok then...
 
 bobbob13
 15 February, 2010 06:50
 
 Reply Vote
 - Well, the future for the project is Qt, since Nokia now owns Qt.
 
 With Android now available, no reason to even think
 about Maemo anymore.
 
 DonnieBoy
 15 February, 2010 07:53
 
 Reply Vote
 - your point?
 
 "Well, the future for the project is Qt" what exactly is the problem with this, QT is an extremely powerful well designed toolkit,with many language bindings. It also immediately gives you cross platform support for symbian, windows, linux desktop, mac osx and more.
 
 "With Android now available, no reason to even think
 about Maemo anymore. "
 How about because some people dont like being tied to google for everything,
 because some people dont like having no choice but to develop in Java,
 Because some people like working with a standard linux stack,
 because some people dont like that som applications vital to the OS (the market app)are closed source and propriety making any fully open source versions useless.
 Because Meego is being designed from the word go to work on phones, netbooks and a whole host of platform, while android was designed primarily for phones and is being shoehorned on to devices its not suitable for,
 and because google is competing with itself with ChromeOS,
 that enough reasons or would you like some more?
 
 bobbob13
 16 February, 2010 01:52
 
 Reply Vote
 - RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail
 
 Preferably someone fluent in Mandarin, who can read Traditional Chinese characters.<a href="http://ipadbagblog.com/"> k</a>
 
 zakkiromi
 30 May, 2011 00:38
 
 Reply Vote
- Not exactly
 
 If you look carefully at the press release behind
 one of the links you will see that this will work
 with the ARM architecture as well.
 
 True, Intel has not got a great history of
 supporting other folks' chips, but maybe this time
 there will be a pony.
 
 DanaBlankenhorn
 15 February, 2010 06:51
 
 Reply Vote
 - I agree that there will be nothing stopping people from using it on Arm,
 
 just that this project will not get much love for
 the Arm support.
 
 DonnieBoy
 15 February, 2010 07:50
 
 Reply Vote
- RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail
 
 @DonnieBoy You have used a version of maemo based on QT? Im impressed seeing as the current version of maemo, </a><a href="http://www.revivalymaske.com/">pembe maske</a> </a><a href="http://www.energybalancebileklik.com/">energy balance</a> </a><a href="http://www.oynaoyunu.com/">oyna oyunu</a> </a><a href="http://www.moliva.web.tr/">moliva</a> </a><a href="http://www.orjinkrem.net/">orjin krem</a> </a><a href="http://www.tutunesun.web.tr/">tutune son</a></a><a href="http://www.nanomatik.gen.tr/">nanomatik</a> </a><a href="http://www.complex41.net/">complex 41</a> </a><a href="http://www.fx15new.com/">new fx15</a>maemo 5 is entirely written in gtk. In fact the official nokia QT release only came out today, the currently supported version is a community version of qt 4.5. So its all been downhill since that switch that hasnt taken place yet, ok then.
 
 gaberdiye03
 21 June, 2011 07:02
 
 Reply Vote
RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail

Why, what exactly is wrong with QT, have you ever actually used it, its a great toolkit and out of the box you have an app that supports linux(and all its flavours, meego included) symbian, windows, windows mobile, mac osx.
With Android youve got em Android support thats it.Also android means Java. Whywould you use Android again(see how I did that)?

bobbob13
15 February, 2010 08:23

Reply Vote
RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail

And linux failing is a bad thing? I can see it only as being a good thing. With no linux, no hassles or headaches :) RIP linux.

Loverock Davidson
15 February, 2010 08:48

Reply Vote
- Read my lips
  
  MeeGo, not Linux. Linux is alive and well. It will haunt you into your grave.
  
  Economister
  15 February, 2010 14:09
  
  Reply Vote
If you'd have picked up a Nokia Internet Tablet three years ago

running Debian Linux, GTk Maemo, you'd see the natural progression.

Nokia bought Trolltech and see the virtue of a remake of Maemo with the Qt framework, which is the same framework used to develop KDE 4.3, only the richness of QtEmbedded, QtWebKit is hands-down superior to GTk, as much as I like what was done with Maemo Hildon UI up to this point.

My Nokia N800, still stands as a technology marvel in terms of what it does, engineering-wise, and was done way before any other vendor was shooting for the palm- and netbook-based touch tablet market.

At the same time, Nokia are holding Apple's feet to the fire on their touch screen interface across all of Apple's product line.

In a matter of six months Apple's business may face a permanent injunction or fold and settle to remain a fractional player in the 'GLOBAL' market.

I really don't think you have a grasp of what's going on with Nokia Dana.

Intel gains a partnership with a vendor with ARM mask rights.

Nokia gain a partner with the sincere intent to develop Linux-driven product. That sincerety has been manifest in Moblin.

Where they put their resources will pay off and with Nokia that is a powerful combination.

All good for the future of Linux.

D.T.Schmitz
15 February, 2010 09:03

Reply Vote
Better:

iWent ;-)

Edit: On a more serious note:

http://www.ars-technica.com/open-source/news/2010/02/intel-and-nokia-unite-their-linux-platfroms-to-create-meego.ars

Economister
15 February, 2010 14:06

Reply Vote
RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail

"I?m asking, when was the last time any of these players succeeded at anything like this" - So I guess it isn't worth trying right Dana? After all, Nokia, the worlds largest cell phone manufacturer is full of bumbling idiots, who know nothing of innovation. Stick to "journalism" instead of stand-up.

jakeZ2
16 February, 2010 00:39

Reply Vote
RE: Intel and Nokia set Linux up for MeeGo fail

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efsane
26 April, 2011 00:29

Reply Vote