Moblin. Smooth, Slim and in need of an App store.

Geek.com recently published an update to their Moblin 2 review noting some major improvements to the OS. Sure enough, when I revisited it on a Medion Akoya (MSI Wind equivalent) the experience was very slick and trouble-free. It’s a smooth and slim operating system for sure but is it enough for today’s netbook and mobile computer users? Will it be enough for the beginner and advanced, cloud-aware user?

Intel and the Linux Foundation have taken on a big job with Moblin. Creating a consumer operating system is a tough project even if you’re re-using work already done in the Linux community. Optimising it for the target hardware, completely redesigning the UI and building in core applications like web browsers, social networking and media players takes a lot of time and effort. The teams have come a long way down the line and have kept up well with the fast-advancing platforms in the Web2.0 and mobility world. It’s rare to find an OS that has twitter built right into the default home screen! Moblin is almost ready for release to distributors and we hear that release candidates are already floating around with developers. It wouldn’t be surprising to see it released to distributors in the coming weeks and for Moblin based devices to be appearing in shops after IDF in September.

Moblin testing impressed me.

Running from a USB stick on my Akoya Mini, a version of the MSI Wind, I was very impressed with the finish of the operating system. Setting up a twitter account was easy and adding my Google Talk account worked first time. I was impressed with the ability to sync with Google address book and even Google Calendar through Goosync; adding contacts and calendar entries really brought the operating system to life for me. Moving on to the browser I was impressed by the speed, layout, accuracy and especially the font quality. Flash works fully with working embedded YouTube and audio players, searching from the address bar, pinned (bookmarks) pages, commonly used pages listed and a good level of tidiness which is echoed across the OS.

In general the UI is intuitive and easy to use and the overall first impressions are very good but after a short while, just 30 minutes or so in my case, the limitations start to appear and you realise that Moblin is a very thin OS. To be fair, that’s how Intel and the Linux Foundation are playing it. They make an efficient baseline OS and offer it to distributors to add their bells and whistles. It’s a process that will make distributors, manufacturers and carriers very happy.

Good for new users.

A slim, browser-centric operating system could be just what is needed for netbooks. There’s no need to be adding the complexities of a desktop operating system if you want to make browsing, searching and email the main features and even without any additional applications you’re able to do everything you need to. There is a possible problem though. Do basic netbook users understand the concepts of working ‘in the cloud?’ Will they see an empty operating system and abort at the first attempt to print out a letter or will they be heading straight for Google Docs? I fear the former will be true for these users but there could be a solution for this.

As I mentioned before, Moblin is being written for ‘finishers.’ Although you’ll be able to download a copy of the released version, most end users are going to be seeing Moblin after they’ve bought a netbook in which means Moblin would have passed through the hands of Linux distributors and then through the process that involves competitive advantage, branding and, in the case of carrier distribution, even some media service access and ‘lockdown.’ We’ve already seen examples of what Xandros and Ubuntu want to add to the OS so it’s clear that each Moblin distribution is going to be different and more than what we’re seeing in the Linux Foundation build. Let’s hope that the distributors add enough applications to satisfy the average netbook user and that it goes beyond just the browser, email and twitter integration.

What about the advanced users?

I’m very worried about fragmentation. It’s a problem that has plagued Linux for a long time. There’s no consistency. What a wasted chance it would be if end-users couldn’t use the same applications and what a wasted chance it would be if application developers simply weren’t interested in Moblin because of the complexities of dealing with multiple tailored versions of the operating system.

The bigger question is, how will Moblin move forward and keep up with trends in this fast moving market? It has already been proven that applications and software enhancements enrich a device and that application stores attract developers and build user communities but with the Moblin model it seems there’s no place for this. Each OS build is likely to remain static because of the fragmentation and lock-down. Sure, LSB means you’ll be able to run hundred of apps but if the UI is different for each it’s quickly going to be a mess. Most leading-edge Web2.0 concepts aren’t even available in Linux build form so  there has to be an incentive and channel for new applications developments. Moblin needs to foster an application community and channel to address this.

Maybe Intel has enough weight to be attracting independent software vendors through formal business channels. Yes, customers like Skype and Facebook are already working with Intel and Moblin but that’s not going to help foster the creativity and discovery that has been seen in other mobile operating systems. It’s not enough.

I don’t know the answer to this app store issue. Maybe a product like CNR.com can be used. Xandros are in a good position and have already set up Moblin.cnr.com in preparation for their Moblin builds. If they position it well then maybe they become the de-facto solution but I’d rather see a core commitment to this than having to hope that it all pans out. Moblin is one of the Linux world’s great opportunities. With potentially millions of end users ending up with Moblin on their netbook it would be a shame if it became another fragmented Linux distribution story.

Do you have thoughts about how Moblin can keep up with the fast moving Web2.0 and mobile internet market? If so, feel free to write your thoughts below.

You can test-drive Moblin with a netbook by downloading the latest build here.