Many of you are likely familiar with Jide and their Remix OS, a Windows-like implementation of Android that wound up first on their own tablets, which only some backers received, and then on PCs and laptops. The PC version, forked from the open-source Android-x86 project, had a bit of trouble with open-source licensing, but took care of that issue and continued development. The PC version of Remix OS, made to run from a flash drive on a compatible machine, was intended not to interfere with the PC’s main operating system, although some users decided to find ways to install it to the computer’s hard drive. The issue was that it was only compatible with newer, 64-bit PCs. Mostly anything from 2010 onward was fair game, but a good portion of older PCs and laptops still in use sported 32 bit processors. Announced on February 1, 2016, Jide has released a new version that is compatible with 32-bit processors.
Many older pieces of kit, such as netbooks sporting Intel Atom processors or old desktops with Pentium 4 and similar processors can get in on the Remix OS fun with this new version. It should be stated, however, that Jide recommends USB 3.0 for maximum speed, which most of the legacy hardware you’ll find 32 bit processors in won’t have. USB 2.0 is usable, but speed will be lacking. Installing Remix OS to the computer’s hard drive is, of course, possible, but since the software is still in its early stages, it may not make a great daily driver just yet. The system software itself is still being worked on and many Android apps are either not optimized for the x86 architecture, not optimized to run without a touchscreen or in some cases, both.
Remix OS for 32-bit PCs is available at Jide’s website and a download link can be found in the source link at the Google Groups post about the release. Remix OS is not the only game in town if you’d like to try Android on your PC, of course – Android-x86, which Remix OS is forked from, is still going strong. The release is live right now.