What is MeeGo OS?

 10 things to know about Nokia and Intel's new OS

Nokia's Maemo and Intel's Moblin operating systems have been merged to create MeeGo - we explain what you need to know about this latest mobile operating system

Nokia and Intel's announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that they would be combining their two open source operating systems to create an all-new OS called MeeGo was somewhat overshadowed by the landmark launch of Windows Phone 7 Series. But the combination of the two electronics giants' Linux-based operating systems into MeeGo could still play out to be a significant move -- whether that's in developing a new breed of smartphone devices, netbooks, notebooks, tablets or other connected mobile gear.

Nokia's Maemo platform was recently given an airing on the Nokia N900 smartphone. But what will be delivered smartphone-wise by the new MeeGo operating system remains to be seen.

In the meantime, here's the essentials should you know about MeeGo:

1. MeeGo is a Linux-based software platform that has been created from Intel's Moblin platform and Nokia's Maemo platform, and builds on collaboration between Intel and Nokia that was first announced back in June 2009.
2. The first version of the MeeGo platform will debut in the second quarter of the 2010 and the first devices using MeeGo will arrive later in 2010.
3. MeeGo isn't just a direct competitor for the likes of the iPhone, Android OS-powered devices, Windows Phone 7 Series, Palm's webOS and RIM's BlackBerry platform. It's aimed at a much broader range of applications. The Linux-based MeeGo platform is intended to power multiple types of devices including smartphones, netbooks, tablets, connected TVs, mobile computers and in-car entertainment systems. 
4. MeeGo isn't going to replace Symbian as Nokia's smartphone platform of choice -- not just yet, at least. Nokia's executive vice president of devices, Kai Oistamo, said at the MeeGo launch that the two operating systems would continue to co-exist.
5. However, the MeeGo platform will run on high-performance premium mobiles, according to Nokia's Kai Oistamo. MeeGo will offer a range of rich online and computing experiences with rich graphics, multitasking and multimedia capabilities. And not just on devices with Intel chips -- it is envisaged as an open platform for 'multiple processor architectures', so it can indeed run on Arm chips favored by the mobile industry.
6. The MeeGo platform will be developed as an open project hosted by the Linux Foundation.
7. MeeGo should be attractive to application developers as it uses the Qt application development environment, which enables developers to write applications just once and easily deploy them across variety of platforms and devices.
8. The MeeGo platform is being billed as an operating system that can enable seamless communication between a variety of connected devices in the home, office, vehicle, and in the pocket. That means users could be getting a very similar software experience whatever gadget they happen to be using, whether its a TV, phone, netbook or in-car entertainment setup.
9. MeeGo applications for Nokia devices will be sold through the Ovi Store for Nokia, while Intel's AppUp Center will handle applications for Intel-based MeeGo devices.
10. The next version of Maemo, Maemo 6, will be MeeGo compatible -- but Nokia hasn't decided yet whether it will be distributed under a MeeGo name.