Intel has made the alpha version of its Linux-based Moblin operating system available for download for the first time. The idea of this OS, which is largely based on Fedora, is to optimize it for netbooks that use the Atom processor. This release is confirmed to be good for Dell’s Mini 9, the Acer Aspire One, and the Eee PC 901 (but is short on WiFi support).

Don’t expect an amazing desktop environment yet though, as the alpha release utilizes the basic Xfce desktop. A much slicker and overall cooler user interface built with OpenedHand’s Clutter framework will be introduced later in development.

Final release is some time off but if you’re interested in trying Moblin out earlier, head on over and grab it.

Source: Ars Technica