The MeeGo User Interface Design on Tablets & Netbooks

When Nokia and Intel became the main partners in synthesizing Maemo and Moblin into MeeGo, the intention was to create a robust OS that could work on a number of devices. At the Intel Developers Forum in Beijing an array of tablets sported the user interface design of the MeeGo OS. Details of the user interface are scant indeed as the MeeGo website showcases all major device types but tablets! However, hands on videos indicate that MeeGo is the baby that Nokia seemingly threw out with the bath water. The web video I saw showcased a no name brand tablet. The idea of Nokia adding the same type of refinement to the hardware and user interface design of a MeeGo tablet as it has with the N9 seems like a no brainer. But alas, Nokia seems to be vested in primarily partnering with Microsoft.

Although tablets seem to have swept the rug from under the netbook’s feet I found the user interface design of MeeGo for netbooks very appealing. So much so that I was somewhat disappointed that the user interface design seen in the video wasn’t closer to the netbook version of MeeGo. The dividing of the user interface design into zones makes sense and this is also well executed on the tiled user interface design of Windows Phone 7. The bar at the top of the user interface design could even be kept pretty much as is for quick easy access. This could even work better than on the user interface design of WP7 or iOS for that matter because,for example, you could just jump straight into the desired zone without having to go back first. That would also leave space for widgets or apps to populate the rest of the user interface design.