Intel hands its Moblin OS to the Linux Foundation
CHIPZILLA plans to turn over control of Moblin, the Linux operating system it developed for its Atom processor to the Linux Foundation.
In doing so Intel is taking a big risk. While setting Moblin free could help attract more interest from netbook makers that have mostly been stuck with Windows XP to date, it could result in rivals getting a new toy.
The big risk is that Moblin development could help Nvidia Ion platform, which combines Nvidia graphics with Intel's Atom CPU, or the rival ARM smartphone processor. Both these technologies are also being touted as the next best thing for Netbooks.
Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation said there is nothing to stop Graphzilla or Arm taking the software and enabling it to work on their chips.
He told Computerworld that Intel was happy to do this because it feels pretty bullish about their ability to compete. "It's a risk/reward that has been proven with other vendors," he said.
Moblin runs only on devices and PCs using Intel's Atom or Core 2 CPUs, along with Intel's integrated graphics chips. It has been taken up by OEMs including Asus, HP, and Dell.
An Intel spokesman said that even under its rule Moblin developers already had the freedom to port the OS to ARM or Nvidia's Ion. The fact that they didn't probably means that this is not a problem.
However some of that was due to the fact that most of Moblin's developers worked for Intel and now that Chipzilla has handed the project over that could change. µ
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So far everyone I know who's bought a "Netbook" chose XP over Linux, as it runs their software out of the box and is a platform they understand.
Sure, some Linux folk will want Linux on their PC; but most of them will want their preferred distro installed anyway.
As for ARM, if they understand the issue most folk are only interested if their machine is x86/x64 compatible. That way they can run all the software they're used to. I know I want all my boxes to be x86/x64.
Forgive my ignorance. Moblin is a yet another Linux distro Does Moblin have Atom specific drivers? If so, then Intel will surely sell more Atoms, if not more 945 (or whatever) chipsets.
Perhaps Intel would rather make something else than 945's? Something like, maybe, millions and millions of x58 and the chipset for the Nehalem Xeon? I'd love to see the market just flooded with Nehalem & it's chipsets.
Let me guess—you’re in the US, right? Did you know that the US accounts for less than 10% of netbook sales? And that Linux s shipping on 20% of netbooks worldwide?