NetbookTech

Missed this one last week but the Moblin steering committee released Moblin v.2.1 for Intel Atom processor-based netbooks and nettop systems. Features in the latest release of Moblin include the following (courtesy of the Moblin.org website here):

• New Internet browser which “far exceeds” the previous browser performance and adds plug-in support and add-ons
• 3G data support using Ericsson MBM 3G modems
• Moblin Application Installer is integrated. Application selection comes from the Moblin Garage
• Clutter 1.0 animation framework
• Bluetooth device support. Device discovery and pairing is now supported via a new panel in the toolbar. Moblin now supports Bluetooth audio devices, input devices, OBEX file transfer, and using a Bluetooth  phone as a 3G modem
• New version of ConnMan which now supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and 3G
• Support for nettop systems
• Improvements to Instant Messaging
• Input method support now included across the system
• Localized in English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Finnish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional
• Includes updated versions of key technology components including Linux kernel version 2.6.31, Intel Linux graphics driver 2.9, X server 1.6.4, and Mesa 7.6.

If you’re curious about one person’s experience in getting Moblin 2.1 up and running on a netbook, head over to the Intel Atom Developer Program and check out Gina Bovara’s posting on installing Moblin 2.1 on an ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook.  Here’s a quick blurb from that posting:

“I have entered the world of Moblin with my Asus Eee 1005HA netbook, and I am loving it so far! I’ve been move productive on the go this week and I am having a lot of fun doing it!”

We tried out Moblin 2.0 beta when it was first released earlier this year. While it was certainly promising, it was still a bit too raw and buggy for our liking. We’ll have to give 2.1 a spin and see how this version fares!

You can download the images by going to this link over at the Moblin.org website.

[Check it out]