eyeOS 2.0 rethinks its webtop for 2010

The eyeOS 2.0 Dashboard The eyeOS developers have announced that eyeOS 2.0 will be available on January 1st, 2010. EyeOS, dubbed the "cloud computing operating system" by its creators, is a webtop environment where a server presents the users desktop within a web browser. The Affero GPL3 licensed project, which debuted in 2005 and was released as version 1.0 in 2007, has been developing version 2.0 for a year. The result of this development is a new desktop and new focus on collaboration.

The new desktop moves from a "windows inside the browser" model of previous eyeOS versions and moves to a tabbed and tiled display, making it easier for a user to lay out and arrange different applications and information. Users can now collaborate on documents in the eyeOS word processor, with shared editing and comments. Real time notifications will allow users to discuss or share information, with a new instant messaging system and integrated calendar added which use the new notifications. The developers also promise desktop synchronisation and backwards compatibility with eyeOS 1.x.

The developers plan to release a technology preview on the 1st of November and to have a final release available on January 1st, 2010. The current version of eyeOS, 1.8.7.0, is available to download.

(djwm)