Intel announced at IDF today that they would be working w/ Google to ensure Android is optimized for x86. Obviously, w/ MicroSoft shipping WIndows 8 on ARM, Intel is looking to ensure it's dominance in the CPU market remains strong. In my mind, this doesn't look like a good thing for MeeGo. Thoughts?

In real terms, using android to get intel based mobile devices out to the broader market may be a great thing for Meego.
Using somone else's OS as a testbed for Intel means android (and thus google) will be on the recieving end of criticism from a user/consumer perspective, for any bugs or problems that arise, and may allow Intel the breathing space to iron out issues that arise between hardware and userspace before pushing Meego.
furthermore, it will allow Intel to ride on the (existing) success of android as a means of increasing it's market share in the mobile arena.
Ultimately, i think Meego will always play second fiddle to chip sales for Intel, and after all, Intel may be a/the major player in the Meego environment, but its an LF project and as such, who knows which companies have already been downloading and developing the source behind the scenes for their own products?

off topic, I would be more interested in HTC's acknowledgement that they are considering purchasing/procuring another OS.
in the same announcement, they clearly indicated that their expertise in the UX/OS overlay field places them in a good position for any future endeavours in this area.
With licensing costs for Android and Windows only looking to increase, a free and open OS like Meego with a beatiful HTC Sense overlay has some great possibilities...
then again, there's also webOS....

Say whatever you may... but this announcement is not a good thing for MeeGo. In fact, the lack of anything said about MeeGo today was probably indicative of what MeeGo means to Intel - it's being pushed aside for now.

They wouldn't have to "buy" anything w/ MeeGo. MeeGo + Sense + Myriad Alien Dalvik = ???

My point precisely. No Licensing, and in HTC's case, they're not paying twice for android; once for the OS and then a second time to MS for the patent fee.

@ gerbick

The handset that ol' matey was waving around looked like the AAVA unit. nothing new there, other than the fact that there's been Meego development for this handset as long as there has been for the N900.
I also believe it goes to my point about licensing. Ultimately, hardware vendors are going to get fed up with paying licensing costs in an increasingly competitive market where the margins are getting thinner and thinner. add to this additional fees to 3rd parties (ala the MS - android patent infringement deal) and it all eats into the bottom line.
Companies like HTC differentiate themselves through their proprietory UX overlays, and it makes good business sense to offer the same visual experience to a customer if the base OS is stable and doesn't cost a cent.
Usually if companies talk publicly like this, they're already in negotiations/discussions.
for me, i'd be happy to buy a HTC device if it was based on wither Meego or WebOS

A video of Intel Medfield Android smartphone proto ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkfgY...layer_embedded