Intel to launch mobile Linux-based OS 'in mid-2009'

Chipmaker Intel is to release a new Linux-based mobile operating system in mid-2009, it has been reported.

The company told BusinessWeek that the Moblin 2 Linux software will be sent to developers in March and will run on new mobile internet devices (MIDs), which will launch in the middle of this year.

This comes as part of new efforts by Intel to push into the mobile internet market with a range of new chips, potentially pitting it in direct competition with Apple, the website says.

According to comScore, 12.9 million people in the UK access the web from a mobile device.

Intel aims to power a new breed of portable devices allowing users to browse the web wherever they are. These devices will be manufactured by partners to be announced by Intel later this year.

Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at Enderle Group, said: "Intel is going to be entering solidly into Apple's space.

"It's going to make for an interesting next decade."

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