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MeeGo promises 'new era' of mobile computing

Nokia and Intel have revealed plans for a new smartphone operating system made by combining their respective Maemo and Moblin Linux-based platforms.

Already labelled by analysts as an attempt to catch up with the Apple iPhone and Google Android platforms, the creation of MeeGo could also challenge Microsoft and its new Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system.

Like Android, MeeGo software will be freely available to smartphone manufacturers and the makers of other consumer electronics devices, while software developers will also be able to use it on an open source basis.

They will be able to buy it through Nokia's Ovi Store and Intel's AppUpSM Center and it will run across a wide range of formats including tablets, netbooks, smartphones, car entertainment systems, pocket-sized mobile computers, media phones and connected TVs.

The new platform is said to support the best features of Maemo and Moblin, and will be available in the next few months.

Products running the software are expected before the end of the year, around the same time as those for Windows Phone 7. There has already been speculation that the LG GW990 smartphone, which currently runs on Moblin, will be one of the first handsets based on MeeGo.