MSI has become the first original equipment manufacturer to sell a fully-supported Intel Atom processor-based netbook running Moblin-based technology to consumers. MSI and Novell has announced the upcoming availability of SUSE® Moblin – a mashup of Moblin and SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop --  preloaded on the MSI U135 netbook, thus addressing the growing demand for lightweight, mobile netbook devices.

About Mobilin

Moblin is an open source operating system and application stack for mobile devices, such as netbooks, MIDs, and IV infotainment systems, and other embedded devices. Built around the Intel Atom processor, current builds are designed to minimize boot times and power consumption to create a netbook and MID-centric operating system. Moblin has a common core of Application and User Interface services and APIs, which provide application developers a rich and consistent development environment across multiple device form factors.

Intel launched the project in July 2007 and significantly updated the Moblin.org site in April 2008 with the launch of the Intel Atom processor family. On 2 April 2009, The Linux Foundation (LF), the non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, announced it will host Moblin. Development is now overseen by the Moblin Steering Committee.

“The Moblin project has the potential to become an accessible and widely used computing platform,” said Ram Peddibhotla, Open Source Business Director, Intel Software and Services Group. “We have worked closely with Novell in refining the current Moblin version 2.1 for the netbook. We are pleased to see companies like MSI and Novell embracing the technology, contributing to its development and bringing it fully-supported to customers.”

Moblin-based Netbook Expands Linux Offerings from MSI and Novell

The netbook was lunched at a joint press conference today in Las Vegas on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2010).

Designed for both, the consumer and the enterprise, the MSI netbook is aimed at offering a rich Internet experience with integrated e-mail, multimedia and Web browsing capabilities. The MSI U135 netbook is expected to give customers nearly all-day computing capabilities with 9 hours of battery life and low power consumption. The U135 comes in 4 colors; blue, white, black and red and has an option to add WiMax to the netbook for fast mobile connectivity.

“Customers today are looking for devices that give them mobility and flexibility,” said Sam Chern, director of Global Marketing at MSI. “MSI netbooks, in combination with SUSE® Moblin, provide an innovative interface and robust computing capabilities as well as the cost-efficiency that our customers are looking for in these new devices.”
 
The MSI U135 running SUSE Moblin Linux will be generally available starting February 2010, says MSI. The company had earlier announced that the Windows version of the U135 would sell for approximately USD 330.