Intel's Moblin 2.0 beta released

Intel has released the beta version of its Moblin OS 2.0 for Netbooks and Nettops to the public. A lot of work has gone into making a more functional and visually pleasing user interface, which is reminiscent of HP's Ubuntu based MIE OS originally used on the Mini 1000.


Moblin v1.0's user interface


Moblin's new user interface

Here is the feature summary as listed in the official announcement:

• New, visually rich user experience, optimized for Netbook and Nettops, building on the latest open source graphics technology, such as Clutter, DRI2, and KMS. The user experience is provided mainly through the toolbar and panels, available at the top of the screen.
• The m_zone, acting as the 'home screen' panel. It provides instant access to your synchronized calendar, tasks, appointments, recently used files, and real-time updates from your friends on social networking sites.
• Aggregation of your social networking content. This provides you with the ability to see your social networking activities on one screen, easily interact with your friends, and update your status and site information. Twitter and Last.fm are the currently supported social networking sites, with more to come.
• A web browser optimized for the Moblin 2.0 Netbook user interface. Based on the latest Mozilla browser technology revised into a Clutter shell, the browser gives you access to the whole internet, as well as advanced features, such as video embedding and the latest Flash plug-in, while integrating seamlessly into the user interface.
• A 'Zoomable' media player. This player brings your media collection to life as you zoom from viewing all media down to focusing on an individual picture, movie, or audio track. The media player can detect and index media on external USB devices, as well as UPnP devices on your network.
• A user interface for connection management and an updated connection manager (ConnMan).
• And, of course, support for Linux desktop applications. Moblin is built using GNOME Mobile Technologies and supports existing Linux desktop applications.

Video demonstration of Moblin 2.0 beta:


Platforms which have successfully booted the Moblin v2.0 beta are:

• Acer Aspire One (ZG5)
• Asus EeePC 901, 1000, 1000H
• Dell Inspiron 910
• MSI Wind
• Lenovo S10
• Samsung NC10
• HP mini 1010 and 1120NR (wired networking only)

Some users claim that the OS boots on normal notebooks and PCs running on Intel processors and Intel graphics chipsets. However, the system suffers from sluggish performance.

You can also check out Ars Technica's Hand's On of the Moblin v2.0 if you need more information on the OS.

As with any beta product, exercise caution when installing and using the Moblin v2.0 OS.