Intel Launches AppUp App Store for Netbooks

Would you like an app store with your netbook? That seems to be part of Intel’s plan, as they publicly open the AppUp app store for Windows and MeeGo systems, along with new Atom CPUs. Here are some details.

Intel’s new AppUp center for netbooks is now available and it includes new offerings from Adobe AIR applications and Microsoft Silverlight.

The AppUP center includes free and paid apps, across the normal genre swath, including productivity, social networking and gaming. All of the apps are designed to be optimized for the netbook’s shape, size and style. What’s more, there will be ‘try before you buy’ apps, something that hasn’t really existed in the past in an app store, causing  most developers to create a “lite” version.

In the United States, Best Buy will be outfitting netbooks automatically with the AppUp center while Intel pushes the “AppUp Developer Program” to innovate applications for netbook users. Plus, Intel and Nokia’s MeeGo OS will also have access to everything traditional Windows netbook users do in the AppUp store, as an upcoming MeeGo Web runtime will be released in October to make it easier to write applications for Linux-based netbooks.

Meanwhile, Intel’s new Atom E600 is — like the Sandy Bridge bigger brother discussed yesterday — a system on a chip. Intel also announced an upcoming CD4200 SoC which is set to enable 3D TV video and more visual goodies. At the Intel 2010 Developer Forum, Intel discussed aspiration for new Atom chips to start powering in-car computers, and other small devices that need a big boost.

Intel has a lengthy list of features, specifications and quotes about the announcement here, but the take-away for the rest of us is simply this: Small devices are about to get a lot more useful and a lot more powerful very soon. Are you ready?

Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Newsletter; Webcasts and Resource Center; and via RSS; Facebook;   Identi.ca; Twitter and VARtweet.