Intel Not Selling MeeGo, Says Manager
by Andrew Cunningham on September 8, 2011 3:30 PM ESTResponding to this week's rumors that Samsung might be looking to acquire MeeGo, the Linux-based mobile operating system introduced by Intel and Nokia, Intel's Systems Software Division manager Doug Fisher stated that the company remains "committed" to the OS, though he followed that by saying that he could "only comment on what's happening today."
MeeGo, which has user interfaces for netbooks, tablets, and smartphones among other things, was originally introduced in February of 2010 by Intel and Nokia, and was intended to be a merging of Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo operating systems. However, since Nokia struck up a partnership with Microsoft to use Windows Phone 7 on its handsets, the OS has stuggled to find a home.
Rumors stated that Samsung was looking to buy MeeGo for a variety of reasons - to integrate with its existing Bada operating system, to compete against Android and Windows Phone 7, or just to shore up the company's patent portfolio. Fisher's statement refutes these rumors, at least for now.
Of course, there is often a disconnect between what companies say and what they later do. If Intel continues to have trouble getting MeeGo adopted by its partners, you can bet that the OS could yet be discontinued or sold.
Source: PCWorld
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microsux - Thursday, September 8, 2011 - link
Just thought anyone following MeeGo would be interested to know that Nokia is doing a pretty good job of marketing the N9 to developers. They've given away lots of free hardware and are running some pretty awesome contests right now. I seriously want to go home and write apps because the prizes are so huge, so don't believe it when someone says there's not gonna be any apps ;)Impulses - Thursday, September 8, 2011 - link
What else can you run them on besides the N9 tho? ;pRayb - Thursday, September 8, 2011 - link
It is highly amusing that plenty of people make the assumption that Meego isn't viable, with Intel's backing and resources, anything is possible. Parroting a soundbite is easy, failing to provide facts of how long it takes to fully develop a new Open OS that can really challenge the incumbents for a share of the market is entirely different. You don't buy an Open OS, you adopt it, if it suits your needs.Yet, the proof is in the release of MeeGo Harmattan, with the N9 customers will have another option to choose from. With a much better UI and feature set from the latest contender, it won't be long before OEM's take notice, if they want to stay away from the litigation central that has become Android and iOS.
sprockkets - Thursday, September 8, 2011 - link
Nokia is on record as not making the N9 US bound. And while I could get it from someone on ebay, its a dead end.Nokia had a chance with the N900 and blew it by never marketing it.
Rayb - Friday, September 9, 2011 - link
Correct, that is because they don't want it to interfere with the WP7 release and cannibalizing sales in the US or other markets where is still relevant. But, to say it's a dead end, far from it. Emerging or under-developed markets where is being released are still in a sense important to the overall picture in market share/sales, where the Nokia brand is well known as a manufacturer of quality products (Be it with MeeGo, Symbian or WP7).Considering that the Nokia WP7 phone is being touted as the savior of Nokia in the US, when Meego-Harmattan has what it takes to compete with any OS to date and then some out of the box. It may eventually find it's way to a retailer near you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjxrRbA17es&fea...