Intel wants to boost PC sales by putting Android alongside Windows in the same box

With "Intel Inside" a large number of PCs, the fortunes of the silicon slinger are tied hand in hand with how well PCs and laptops are flying off the shelves. Considering the state of the PC market, Intel is looking for something, anything, to spark consumers to buy computers. To this end, Intel is rumored to be working with computer manufacturers to produce a laptop that runs both Windows and Android. An announcement is expected at CES next week.

Dubbed "Dual OS", the computer would use virtualization to allow Windows and Android apps to run side by side without having to reboot the machine. The whole idea is nothing new. Samsung in June launched its Samsung ATIV Q tablet that boots Windows and Android using an app called "Dual OS". The "Dual OS" name was also used by Asus for a tablet that recently visited the FCC. Asus recently produced a teaser video for a dual-boot Transformer slate that is expected to visit CES next week.

But "Dual OS" might not be the name employed by Intel for the dual boot program. According to Time Magazine, the program will be named "PC Plus". But the whole idea might not go anywhere. While Intel has the chips that can power both OS, Microsoft is apparently not happy with this. The company has been working on putting all of its Windows apps into one marketplace and is not excited about seeing Android apps available for the same box, running alongside Windows apps. Microsoft could use the leverage it has over manufacturers, such as cutting discounts on Windows 8, or refusing to budget marketing money, in an effort to get manufacturers to back off.

You might think that with Android being open source, there isn't much that Google could do to block the use of Android on a laptop that also runs Windows. But you'd be wrong. Google can withhold use of the Google Play Store and Google applications like Maps and YouTube.

source: TheVerge via AndroidAuthority