Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Oct. 26, 2009

Late Friday, Samsung has confirmed that it acquired Phoenix Technologies' Instant-On quick-boot Linux environment license.

Phoenix says the transaction covers laptops and netbooks. There's now no more doubts that Mobile Linux (MobLin) is taking over a good part of the wireless industry.

Asked whether Samsung would include Moblin technology on its netbooks and notebooks, a Phoenix spokesperson deferred the question to a Samsung spokesperson.

Phoenix's Hyperspace technology is best-known as a pre-boot environment that PC makers can install in protected, hidden partitions on a hard drive. PC users can then decide at boot time whether to launch a Windows operating system (with the usual longer time that it takes) or the much faster Hyperspace.

Running on top of a standard Linux kernel, and saving battery power by shutting off most peripheral hardware and unused RAM, Hyperspace provides a minimalist computing environment suited for quick e-mail sending and receiving and some Internet browsing.

Microsoft's originated term "UMPC" describes mobile handsets aimed at integrating PC functionality into smaller form factors.

With its Q1 handset, Samsung has long been a leader among the smalller specter of consumer electronics manufacturers in this niche market.

Phoenix Technologies added MobLin technology to Hyperspace in mid-July and in September stepped up to Moblin version 2.0 technology, showcasing its Moblin v2 build at IDF.

Phoenix also convinced Intel to bundle its HyperSpace technology with its MobLin technology with an Intel(r) Atom(tm) development motherboard.

Most of today's news release focused on how Samsung had licensed Hyperspace for use on laptops and notebooks, but there was also an "inching up" towards UMPCs: nameless Samsung PC division executives were quoted positioning the company as the world's fastest growing vendor in the ultra mobile computing market.

Overall, MobLin technology may be even better suited to UMPCs than to larger form factors.

Additionally, battery life is more important for ultra-mobile applications. MobLin technology has been aimed at small screens and low-powered hardware from the start, and this is probably one of its most important features.

It also explains why MobLin technology is really taking off for a number of handset makers.

Wireless Industry News now predicts that MobLin will become more and more popular in the mobile communications industry, as a growing number of market participants discover its many advantages and begin to adopt the technology in their wireless products.

Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

    This article was featured on Business 5.0 and on Tech Blog.

Source: Phoenix Technologies.