Intel Atom gets own app store

 

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By Nicole Kobie in San Francisco

Posted on 23 Sep 2009 at 10:49

Everything else has an app store these days, so why not Atom-based netbooks?

With the Intel Atom Processor Developer Programme, Intel's low power CPU is to get its very own app store, featuring applications optimised for the processor. Apps developers will earn 70% of the revenue in the process.

The chip giant is also releasing an SDK to help software vendors and developers create applications that work across devices running Atom – netbooks in particular. The programme includes an SDK and a framework to help software vendors and developers create applications that work across devices running Atom – netbooks in particular.

The framework will support Windows and Moblin, and environments such as Adobe’s Air and Microsoft’s Silverlight.

Look at the opportunity around netbooks – we need a better app environment. People want to do more on them than just run legacy applications

Speaking today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, chief executive Paul Otellini said the goal for developers was very simple. "Write once, run on all devices."

"Look at the opportunity around netbook volume – we need a better app environment. People want to do more on them than just run legacy applications. Atom is at the heart of a lot of these devices," he said.

Hardware manufacturers will also be able to create storefronts to sell the applications, with Acer, Asus and Dell already signed up.

It wasn't made clear, however, when exactly the storefronts would arrive, or when the SDK would be made available.