Mobile Internet Devices

A Mobile Internet Device (MID) is an initiative raised by Intel for consumers and prosumers. Intel came up with the term Fact|date=July 2008 and announced a prototype at the Intel Developer Forum in spring 2007 in Beijing. The product and specifications were announced at the conference. An MID development kit by Sophia Systems using Intel Centrino Atom was announced in April 2008. [ [http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4807155541.html MID dev kit sports Centrino Atom chipset ] ]

Hardware

The device contains a processor and chipset produced by Intel that consume less power than most of the x86 derivatives and are an extension of the Centrino mobile platform. As of today, several platforms have been announced, as listed below:

McCaslin platform (2007)

This platform contains an Intel A100/A110 processor (codenamed Stealey) 90 nm running at 600-800 MHz respectively.

Menlow platform (2008)

This platform contains an Intel Atom processor (codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville) 45 nm CMOS running up to 1.86 GHz. It uses Poulsbo Chipset (aka System Controller Hub) and include Intel HD Audio, Azalia. Note that Azalia here doesn't refer to the HD Audio codec.

Moorestown platform (2009)

This platform contains an Intel Atom processor (codenamed Lincroft) 45 nm.

Operating system

The MID will run an embedded version of Linux with a "finger friendly" user interface modified by Intel, not Microsoft Windows operating system like other UMPCs. However, with the dual-core processor, the device is capable of running Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Intel said it would demo the version of Linux, based on China's Red Flag Linux known as Red Flag MIDINUX, in May.

Later, Intel announced collaboration with Ubuntu to create Ubuntu for Mobile Internet Devices distribution, known as Ubuntu MID Edition. Ubuntu's website says the new distribution "will provide a rich Internet experience for users of Intel’s 2008 Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform." [cite web
url = http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-for-mobile-internet-devices
title = Canonical Announces Details of Ubuntu for Mobile Internet Devices
accessdate = 2007-06-12
date = 2007-06-07]

ee also

* Moblin project
* Handhelds with WiFi connectivity
* Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition

Platform Processors
* Intel A100
* Intel Atom

* WiMAX

Mobile Developement
* Netbook

References

External links

* [http://www.intel.com/products/mid/ Intel Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs)]
* [http://moblin.org/ moblin.org]
* [http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/Intel-to-launch-Linux-powered-mobile-Internet-device/0,130061702,339274887,00.htm Intel to launch Linux-powered mobile Internet device]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDieNDfRr4M Intel demonstrating first prototype devices from EB and Compal]
* [http://www.portension.com/2008/02/05/your-next-phone-will-be-a-mid-mobile-internet-device/ Your Next Phone Will Be A MID] .
* [http://netbook-forums.com/ MID Forums]
* [http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6059837915.html Italian carrier ships Linux MID]
* [http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2016342472.html First Atom-based Linux MID ships for $700]