maemo.org - Talk - Intel Says No MeeGo Handsets Until 2011

MeeGo, the open-source mobile operating system that Intel and Nokia are jointly creating, recently took a hit with the departure of its Vice President of Devices, Ari Jaaksi. In the wake of that announcement, an Intel executive who oversees MeeGo development insists the project is on track, but concedes that MeeGo-powered smartphones–and tablets, for the most part–won’t debut until next year.

The news could disappoint gadget fans that have been anticipating the release of a portable MeeGo device since Intel and Nokia joined forces in February. It could also have implications for Nokia. Though the Finnish mobile technology giant is still the world’s largest handset maker, it is struggling to reinvent itself under a new Chief Executive and has been looking to MeeGo to rekindle interest in its high-end smartphones.

Intel, meanwhile, is hoping MeeGo will entice manufacturers to incorporate its Atom processor in a broad range of devices.

The chipmaker says the same general plan is still in effect. “We have been hitting our dates,” said Doug Fisher, Vice President of Intel’s Software and Solutions Group and General Manager of Intel’s Systems Software Division, in an interview. “We are very pleased with MeeGo’s progress so far.” Indeed, the two companies have met several early deadlines already, including the release of a “1.0” version of MeeGo designed for netbooks in May and a “preview” of the software, modified for handsets, in June.

A “1.1” version of the operating system will be unveiled later this month. The update, which includes support for touch-based commands and telephony, is targeted at tablet computers and smartphones.

MeeGo phones and tablets are in the works, but consumers will have to wait until next year to see and purchase them. Fisher said handsets will debut in the first half of 2011, perhaps at one of the tech industry’s large trade shows.

MeeGo tablets will also come in 2011. One exception is the WeTab from the German firm Neofonie, which was announced in September and is currently available for pre-order in Europe. Fisher said the WeTab will be the one MeeGo tablet released in 2010.

Intel doesn’t view the measured pace of MeeGo releases as a delay. Fisher noted that other MeeGo devices will ship this year, such as netbooks and Internet-connected TVs (IPTVs). Intel also expects cars with MeeGo-powered entertainment systems to be available in coming months through a deal with the Chinese car maker HawTai. Eventually, Intel would like to see MeeGo incorporated in places as diverse as digital signs, kiosks and ATMs.

To lure more manufacturers to MeeGo, the chipmaker has been stocking MeeGo applications in its app store, the AppUp Center. Intel says its developer program has produced more than 1,000 MeeGo applications to date and is distributing tools that will let developers quickly port apps from other formats, such as Apple’s iOS. Taiwanese PC maker Asus and retailer Best Buy are expected to start selling computers equipped with AppUp Center later this month.

The flurry of activity doesn’t mean Intel is taking its focus off phones and tablets. Fisher said Intel continues to hire engineers to work on MeeGo and other mobile operating systems. For MeeGo, “handsets are the volume play,” he noted.

So far, Nokia is the only handset maker to publicly agree to produce MeeGo phones, but Fisher said Intel is in talks with at least one other company.

http://blogs.forbes.com/elizabethwoy...s-before-2011/

bad news :/
what is this other company, I wonder...:rolleyes: