MeeGo developers are working to allow their open source operating system to be installed on the Nokia N900 alongside Meamo, the gadget's native - for now - OS.

The N900 is currently available with Nokia's Maemo 5. Installing MeeGo 1.0 - the OS that combines Maemo with Intel's alternative Linux-based mobile OS, Moblin - currently involves kissing goodbye to Maemo and a fair bit of the smartphone's functionality, making calls over 3G networks, for example.

Dual-booting will allow N900 to try MeeGo without the downsides - they can just reboot back to Maemo when they tire of experimenting.

The feature is expected to come out shortly, with the release of Maemo PR 1.3, the official MeeGo blog reports. MeeGo 1.1, meanwhile, is nearing completion, and work has already begun on 1.2 - and, presumably, 1.3, since its release is said to be "quite close now".

MeeGo is destined to be Nokia's OS of choice for devices like the N900, so the ability to install and run it without reducing the functionality of the hardware should persuade more owners to try it out. ®