Android x86

Pros

• Complete port of the Android OS for x86 devices
• Lets you run Android apps on your PC
• Supports nearly all Android features
• Open source project constantly updated by active team of developers

Cons

• More complicated to use than Windows-based emulators
• Only fully tested on a limited number of devices

Run the full Android operating system on your PC.

Google's Android platform is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, powering millions of mobile devices, such as tablets, portable media players and smartphones, as well as other Internet-ready devices, such as TV set-top boxes. However, it isn't designed to run on devices using the x86 architecture, such as most Intel and AMD-based desktop, laptop and netbook PCs.

Android x86 is an open source initiative to port the Android operating system to standard PCs. Rather than being a simple emulator that runs under Windows, Android x86 is a full port of the operating system, meaning that your PC will boot directly to Andoird, just like if it was a mobile device that natively supports the operating system.

Use Android Apps on Your PC

There are many reasons why you might want to run Android apps on your PC, as opposed to your smartphone or tablet. Perhaps you have an older mobile device that doesn't support the latest apps or you want to test many apps, but don't have enough space available. If you develop mobile apps, whether as a hobby or as part of your job, you'll likely also find it convenient to be able to fully test them on a computer, as opposed to a smaller smartphone or tablet. Many developers find that testing and debugging tasks are more comfortably done on a PC.

No matter why you want to use mobile apps on a desktop device, Android x86 can let you do it. Unlike emulators, it's compatible with nearly all Android apps, such as games, communication tools, productivity software and more.

A Complete Port of the Operating System

The team working on the Android x86 have made a lot of efforts to come up with a complete port of Android that lets you use nearly all of the operating system's features on your PC. It supports Bluetooth, networking via Wi-Fi, cameras, suspending and resuming, audio, external storage mounting, G-sensors and many other features.

Great Overall Concept With a Few Drawbacks

The overall idea of porting Android to PCs is excellent and many users of Android x86 love it. However, this open source Android package does come with some drawbacks. Unlike emulators, it's more complicated to install and get running. You'll need to download a large ISO file, then either use it in live mode or install it to your PC's hard drive like any other operating system. The process of installing Android x86 is similar to installing Linux. It's not extremely hard, but can still be a challenge for those with less technical experience.

Even though Android x86 is generally bug-free, it does have a few shortcomings. You can't use the Android Market, as only devices licensed by Google have access to it. The port also isn't guaranteed to run on all computers, as it has only been tested on a limited number of PCs, like the ASUS EeePC series of netbooks and the Dell Inspiron Mini Duo.

Pros

• Complete port of the Android OS for x86 devices
• Lets you run Android apps on your PC
• Supports nearly all Android features
• Open source project constantly updated by active team of developers

Cons

• More complicated to use than Windows-based emulators
• Only fully tested on a limited number of devices