The MeeGo project has released a new firmware, which gave us the opportunity to test the pre-alpha-version of the new operating system. We installed MeeGo 1.1 on our Nokia N900.
To start with: we strongly discourage to install the present version of MeeGo on your phone. It's not easy to do, and you risk bricking your Nokia N900 forever.
MeeGo improves
After this cautions, we have some good news: MeeGo is getting better and better. There are many imperfections, but that can be considered normal for a system in its pre-alpha stage. If we compare the version that has been released now with the Day-1-release that came out in the end of June, we see some large improvements. Back then, basically nothing. There was an OS that booted, and that was it.
Now, you can actually do something with MeeGo. You can connect to a wireless network, start Firefox, and visit a website. You can connect to a wireless network, start Firefox and visit a website, the nome something. You can add accounts, switch applications, listen to music and change the configuration of the handset.
Slow
However, there are plenty of problems in the new system. We expect the joint partners of MeeGo, Nokia and Intel, to fix them quickly. Mayor drawback at the moment, is that the system is pretty slow. The Alpha release is for patient people. Now and then the phone swtiches to a black screen, without any kind of reason. Press the on/off switch, and the system comes back. Strange.
These alpha issues do not keep us from getting a good impression of the system. MeeGo has some good graphical effects and a fine browser. We hope MeeGo will help Nokia to get back in the high-end smartphone market. The first handset with MeeGo is said to come somewhere in 2011.