You can now run Android on a Windows PC using Jide's Remix OS 2.0

posted by Mihai A. / Jan 12, 2016, 10:20 AM

You can now run Android on a Windows PC using Jide's Remix OS 2.0

Jide, the company that was previously best known to end customers as the manufacturer of an Android tablet that could pass for a Surface slab based on its design, has just made Remix OS 2.0 freely available for download on its website. With Remix OS 2.0, you can now essentially dual-boot between Android and Windows/Mac on virtually any PC out there.

Remix OS is a forked version of Android built upon the Android-x86 project, an unofficial initiative that attempts to port the Android operating system for use on x86 chipsets, such as the ones that you can find powering most PCs currently out there. Jide says that this is an alpha build aimed at developers and enthusiasts who won't mind "a bug or two". Since we have yet to test-drive Remix OS 2.0 for ourselves, we can't figure out the state of the OS just yet. However, once we get to spend some time with the forked Android version, we'll let you know if the OS is workable in its current version.

In theory, Remix OS 2.0 should allow access to the vast range of apps available in the Google Play Store from a Windows PC. Although this is by far the most interesting aspect of the Android-based OS, the developers say that they've included some productivity-oriented features, ones that should come in handy given that you're going to use the OS on a PC.

Using a tool that's available for download from Jide's website, interested users are now able to flash Remix OS 2.0 on a USB drive. Once that's done, the OS can be booted from the USB drive. The best thing about this procedure is that you can take your USB drive with you and use the Remix OS on any other PC you happen to encounter.

When you boot from the USB drive, two options will be presented. You can either load Remix OS 2.0 in 'Guest' mode, which will ditch any modifications upon reset, or in 'Resident' mode, which ensure that your changes and your documents are saved to the flash drive.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to jump right in, head on over to the source link below, where both the software and detailed installation instructions await you.

What do you guys think of Jide's Remix OS 2.0? Is running Android on a PC a good alternative or just a dumb idea in your eyes?

source: Jide via WMPowerUser

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24 Comments

2. guest

Posts: 371; Member since: Jun 13, 2012

Yes! Now I don't have to buy an android device to get access to my apps! Surface pro it is!

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 10:53 AM 5

11. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

bluestacks...but this is good alternative. I would have gotten a surface regardless if this existed, just so much more power than a mobile os...for me that is.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 12:38 PM 0

15. nepalisherpa

Posts: 338; Member since: Jul 17, 2015

I could never get Bluestacks to work. The one time I did, it was so laggy.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 4:32 PM 1

20. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

Bluestack is heavy.. u need i5(desktop) or i7(laptop) with 4GB RAM, to run app smoothly

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 7:23 PM 0

23. nepalisherpa

I have an i7 with 8GB of RAM and it was still laggy.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 9:25 PM 0

26. plck74

Posts: 65; Member since: Dec 12, 2013

bluestack allow you set RAM either 1g or 2g or 3g or 4g

posted on Jan 13, 2016, 5:45 PM 0

24. elitewolverine

I have an old school 940 AMD with 4GB of DDR2....runs just fine for me. Then again when you have a pc...needing android is literally for a one off app and nothing more. Maybe 'games'. Heck I have a cheap all in one with an amd a6 apu and it runs just fine.

posted on Jan 13, 2016, 7:21 AM 0

25. zacsaturday

Posts: 262; Member since: May 09, 2014

wth Bluestacks, it runs Windows and the emulator at the same time. Putting Android with Bluestacks on a Windows Tablet/Laptop is useless for me, I would only use it if it gave me good Performance and battery.

posted on Jan 13, 2016, 12:30 PM 0

3. Wiencon

Posts: 2278; Member since: Aug 06, 2014

I really can't see why would anyone do that. Devs maybe but coding apps like Visual Studio or Xamarin already have Android emulation. If it could dusl boot OSX than it would be game changer but I don't think it'll ever happen

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 11:23 AM 0

21. ibend

get a PC, instal OSx86 and Android-x86.. but I dont see any point on doing that :-/

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 7:27 PM 1

4. TezzaBP

Posts: 274; Member since: May 18, 2015

There's one thing I don't know, will this have mouse support? I don't have a touchscreen monitor but i'd like to try this

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 11:29 AM 1

5. Wiencon

AFAIK Android natively supports keyboard and mouse so my guess is it will

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 11:34 AM 1

7. TezzaBP

Ah good, thanks for the info :^D

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 11:47 AM 0

16. MedLEB unregistered

I tried the OS, and I can confirm It support the mouse and the keyboard.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 5:12 PM 1

6. shy2papa

Posts: 336; Member since: Jan 23, 2010

This is what chrome OS should have been, Google should take note.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 11:35 AM 4

8. xfire99

Posts: 1205; Member since: Mar 14, 2012

Remix OS 2.0 is nice. But they should make it to run within Win with USB key. Like others Android emulators Andyroid/Bluestack.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 12:02 PM 0

9. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Andyroid uses a virtual pc stack (like VirtualBOX and VMPlayer). ReMix OS runs perfectly in those two virtual environments under Windows as well.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 12:26 PM 0

13. Furbal unregistered

Think i'll try and get this running natively on my i5 chromebook. If battery life is on par with chromeos i'll end up keeping it on it.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 1:15 PM 0

14. Baracus

Posts: 223; Member since: Sep 15, 2012

I'd rather run a virtual Android build like Bluestacks so I can have instant access to both O.S but I guess on low end Windows tablets running something like an Intel Z3735f it would be better to run natively since a virtual machine would barely move on them.

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 2:25 PM 0

17. newuser1

Posts: 276; Member since: Dec 10, 2010

painfully slow

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 5:28 PM 0

18. ibend

but you can install Android-x86 and make it dual boot.. its already available since... 6 year ago :-/

posted on Jan 12, 2016, 7:19 PM 0

28. newuser1

This Remix OS is a bit of following win 10 background style with android internal core. No google play built in. Slow as snail. Setup and start up will take forever. Running is slow too, mouse take forever to move, then a banner pop up say system not responding 'wait, ok'. I tried run a bootable Android 6.0 marshhall Android-x86. it much faster and stable and has google play built in.

posted on Jan 14, 2016, 10:36 AM 0

29. 7thspaceman

Posts: 1597; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

hmm this is interesting tech maybe Microsoft should buy it and refine it.. how ever right now Microsoft is working on software that allows Apple's IOS apps to be changed into Windows Universal apps. which is not a bad idea since Apple's IOS apps are as numerous and good as Android Apps and maybe safer to use than Android Apps. on Windows devices

posted on Jan 16, 2016, 7:13 AM 0

30. sureshmasipogula

Posts: 1; Member since: Sep 20, 2018

I personally tell you the Remix Os is one of the best Android Emulator. In this today we have more features and it's one of the up to date Android Best Emulator. and its free of cost you don't want to buy. it's free to download and free to update. Recently I wrote a post on Bluestacks AlternativeI Clearly mentioned in that article the Remix os is Better for low configuration PC's so read it once you choosing a Emulator