As always, the free software community and the technology world in general are in a constant state of flux. Once you get used to the way that things operate, you can be certain that they are going to change.

The most important issue is their very own fork of the Linux kernel which no longer can be merged with the upstream kernel

Not only was this Intel Poulsbo Linux driver closed-source, but the level of support was appalling and it was a bloody mess of a situation. The overall situation since has only become worse

Tech companies are playing hardball on smart phones, yet Linux could gain the upper hand with Intel and Nokia going on the defensive with MeeGo. To get you on Facebook while on the bus, play a tune, and - oh, yeah - make a call, Microsoft and Apple are finding new ways to reign in the competition on phones: they're using patent threats.

Somewhere between the debut of Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala for those into animal names) and today, the developers/maintainers/overlords of what many consider the leading Linux distribution have fixed the dreaded "kernel mode setting bug" that rendered the X Window system on many computers using Intel video hardware unusable until kernel mode setting was turned off.

Intel made a couple of points that cleared up a lot, starting off with the fact that TRIM is indeed alive and well in Linux, and it comes down to having the right software installed to take advantage of it.

Microsoft shows that patent law continues to be a single-edged sword hurting the small inventor; what software patents mean to Intel and Moblin

Microsoft betrays Moonlight in the sense that suddenly it gives Intel access to Silver Lie, for Moblin