On Monday, four vendors of small operating systems said that they plan to integrate the latest edition of MeeGo common code base within their tablet OS.

The four vendors include Linpus, 4tiitoo AG, China Standard Software Company, and Red Flag Software. During a MeeGo Conference in San Francisco, Intel officials said that the four vendors are scheduled to deliver the first MeeGo-based tablet OS featuring a MeeGo user interface. The new code is based on MeeGo 1.2, which is the latest version.

It's rather small potatoes for MeeGo, the OS that Nokia signed on to use in June 2010, then ditched in February to adopt Windows Phone 7. That left Intel as the chief proponent, although MeeGo is administered by the Linux Foundation. "Intel is disappointed with Nokia's decision," Renée J. James, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Software and Services Group, said at the Mobile World Congress, "But life goes on. Our decision and resolve on MeeGo is only stronger."

The deal is very small for MeeGo, which is the OS that Nokia had signed in June 2010 but later reneged in February to use Windows Phone 7. The end of the contract left Intel as the chief advocate even when MeeGo is administered by the Linux Foundation.

Red Flag, however, is a Chinese vendor, and Intel can hope to crack the Chinese market with the Red Flag OS.

"The MeeGo software platform gives developers a faster and easy way to deliver intuitive and compelling user experiences," Intel said in a statement. "MeeGo provides a world of opportunities for device manufacturers and operating system vendors alike."

The problem, unfortunately, is that MeeGo isn't a viable contender, yet. PCMag.com's Sascha Segan named MeeGo on a netbook the worst product he saw at Mobile World Congress in February.

The Red Flag Midinux Tablet Edition is a MeeGo v1.2 compatible turn-key solution optimized for Intel Atom processors, Red Flag said in a statement, and a tablet based on the OS will be shown off at the Computex show in Taiwan at the end of the month. Red Flag will update its in-vehicle infotainment operating system to incorporate MeeGo 1.2.

4tiitoo will also base the next revision of its WeTab tablet OS on the upgraded code base. "The integration of MeeGo v1.2 constitutes another milestone in the development of the WeTab", Stephan Odörfer, chief technical officer of 4tiitoo AG, said in a statement. "With its open system architecture the WeTab offers not only an alternative to closed systems but also proves by its constant advancements the adaption to market developments and needs".