Intel brings out Atom SDK wanting more apps, acts oblivious to Windows

Intel wants people to develop apps for the x86 instruction set. Think about that a little, let it sink in. Now that you're appropriately unimpressed, let's discuss this new developer kit that's just been brought out. Designed to assist coders in that overwhelmingly challenging and new environment known as Atom-powered netbooks, the SDK has now hit Beta and is being distributed to developers of apps for Windows and Moblin. Yes Moblin, the light and snappy Linux flavor intended to spur on the sinking ship known as the MID category, still hasn't been abandoned by Intel, even if its original goal now seems out of reach. Intriguingly, apps approved by Intel will "sell at stores opening next year," which perhaps hints at grander plans than the mere optimization of software to undernourished hardware.

[Lando Calrissian Posted Dec 3rd 2009 4:30AM]

Christopher Walken has a fever, and the only cure is more apps.

[CowBell Posted Dec 3rd 2009 7:38AM]

@Lando Calrissian

I gotta have more apps, baby!

[adewolf Posted Dec 3rd 2009 10:59AM]

@Lando Calrissian I love that pict...too funny
LOL

[XciteMe Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:04AM]

Christopher Walken as The Continental says: "Sit down, a beautiful woman such as yourself could use some apps... and some champan-ya"

[tehslax Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:06AM]

MORE COWBELL!

[KAL326 Posted Dec 3rd 2009 9:53AM]

@tehslax Cowbell, there's an app for that.

[Kurian Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:08AM]

How the hell can a CPU that runs a general purpose OS have an SDK??

[r3loaded Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:39AM]

@Kurian That is the irony!

[Elranzer Posted Dec 3rd 2009 9:49AM]

Actually, the Atom has its own architecture, but also runs x86 instructions (albeit, very slowly).

The Atom's native instruction set is known as LPIA (Low-Power Intel Architecture), and it's even been abandoned by Ubuntu (who used to maintain complete, separate builds of Ubuntu Linux compiled for LPIA for their Netbook Remix distributions).

This may be why Intel is pushing for the SDK.

[endgadget Posted Dec 4th 2009 2:03AM]

@Kurian
with difficulty

[magallanes Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:39AM]

Christopher Walken is not a pro-Android, Christopher Walken is a Android.

[Paul Posted Dec 3rd 2009 5:43AM]

Why is this needed at all?

[Wwhat Posted Dec 3rd 2009 6:00AM]

They want to make money selling stuff that's normally freeware?

[endgadget Posted Dec 4th 2009 1:53AM]

@Paul
Because moblin is not microsoft.

[Jarska Posted Dec 3rd 2009 6:44AM]

I was thinking about this the other day. The idea to develop specially netbook optimized software isn't bad. Many programs at this time assume minimal screen resolution of 768, which most netbooks lack. Also, the somewhat less powerfull Atom would benefit from less resource hogging apps. To such end, I can't see anything wrong with Intel releasing an SDK to help budding developers.

[Jonathan K Posted Dec 3rd 2009 6:46AM]

So great. Now I can pay for software that I've already bought, but... It's optimized for crappy hardware!

It's the most wonderful time...OF THE YEAR!!!

/sarcasm

[ABarton Posted Dec 3rd 2009 12:16PM]

I'd like to share some of the vision: An overarching goal of the Intel Atom Developer Program is to help create an ecosystem of applications for netbooks -- to drive new innovative uses plus applications specifically designed for the netbook size and portability. (as Jarska noted). Intel is also building an app store framework upon which OEM partners will have app stores for developers to sell their applications to netbook consumers (and sell software components to other developers).

The features of the Intel Atom Developer Program beta SDK announced yesterday include authorization, crash reporting, a consumer store client emulator for testing, license management and revenue management -- all features required to load the applications into the app stores, so they will be "store ready" when the stores open in 2010. There is an existing Moblin SDK for optimizing Moblin apps, as well.

-- Amy from Intel

[Pies Posted Dec 4th 2009 6:55AM]

@ABarton Since netbooks run regular desktop apps, and I suppose regular desktops run netbook-optimized apps very well. I mean, I understand you want your own AppStore and the virtually free money that goes with it, but seriously, you think people will not only develop separate applications for just one of your processor families, but also for a specific Linux distribution running on just one of your CPU families?

As I see it, limiting it to Atom is a death sentence for the whole platform.

[leg Posted Dec 3rd 2009 11:03PM]

Need more apps? There's an app for that.