Forbes reports that Intel is in the process of building up developer momentum for the fledgling MeeGo device platform by selling apps for the OS through its AppUp Center, in order to make the OS more appealing to potential device manufacturer partners. The AppUp Center currently stocks a number of apps for the Moblin operating system, which is a predecessor of MeeGo, and Forbes states that there are more than 1,000 titles currently available for this. It was also reported recently that Intel has begun offering tools that will make it easier for developers writing for Apple’s iOS platform to port applications to Intel-powered device platforms, including MeeGo.

MeeGo has been created through the alignment of Moblin with Nokia’s Maemo technology, and a number of apps for Maemo are also already available through Nokia’s Ovi Store. It is currently unclear whether future MeeGo devices will be able to run existing Moblin/Maemo apps, although MeeGo will support Nokia’s Qt tools which should make it easier for developers to write applications that can easily be ported between Meego and Symbian OS variants.

Intel and Nokia have something of an uphill battle on their hands with regard to driving MeeGo support: according to a recent developer survey from Appcelerator, interest in the platform is at the same level as for Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader, and little over half as popular as Symbian OS. The big issue may well be the lack of devices available which support MeeGo: according to Forbes, Intel believes the first MeeGo smartphones will not be available until early in 2011, with Nokia the only vendor to have pledged its support to the OS – although Intel is currently reported to be in talks with another potential partner. Microsoft’s anticipated Windows Phone 7 not only has a greater degree of developer interest already, but will have a significant headstart in the market, which may make it difficult for Intel and Nokia to generate support for the platform in the near future.

In recent weeks, Intel has been the more bullish of the MeeGo partners, using its Intel Developer Forum 2010 to “discuss MeeGo ecosystem momentum, highlighting a variety of MeeGo-based devices and how third-party software developments and the upcoming MeeGo Web runtime, to be released in October, will make it easier to write applications for these devices.” In contrast, at Nokia World 2010, the vendor made no mention of MeeGo, other than that it would have news “before the end of the year.” Nokia recently parted company with the head of its MeeGo operations, which was seen as a significant setback in the commercialisation of the OS, although the company has said its timetable has not been modified as a result.

MeeGo is also intended to be supported across a number of device types, including in-vehicle terminals and connected televisions as well as tablets, netbooks and smartphones. The MeeGo Conference 2010 developer event is scheduled for November 2010 in Dublin, Ireland.