Jide announced it is working on bringing Remix OS to the PC this week. The operating system is currently used on the company’s own products, the Remix Tablet and Remix Mini. The latter is a $30 computer that runs Android but claims to be capable of doing the same things as a Windows PC.
Remix OS itself looks a lot like Windows. Its minimalist interface draws heavily on the design of Windows 10 and Chrome OS, fusing the two with Android to create what Jide sees as a productivity-friendly blend of desktop and mobile operating systems.
Remix OS has a Windows-style taskbar and system tray, Chrome OS-reminiscent app launcher and a fully-fledged desktop that supports running multiple apps at once. One of the key areas where Android still falls down is in multitasking as the OS doesn’t have official support for running more than one app on the screen at a time.
Jide’s solution sees open apps fitted with Windows-style titlebars that let you reposition them, snap them side-by-side or run one full-screen, an implementation of multi-tasking on Android that has so far not been replicated elsewhere. Efforts by other phone and tablet manufacturers have generally let users run two apps side-by-side after picking from a limited selection, due to Android’s lack of a desktop concept.
Jide is now bringing Remix OS to existing Windows, Mac and Linux PCs. It will be based on Android 5.0 Lollipop initially but an update to the newer 6.0 Marshmallow is coming in the “very near future.” The OS comes complete with access to Google Play Services, making it easy to download new apps from Google Play and use Google-built products.
Jide said Remix OS for PC “unlocks our next phase of development for Remix OS and introduces a whole new range of versatility to how and where you can Remix.” It added: “Our state of the art operating system is the cornerstone of what we do. With its multitude of productivity oriented features combined with over 1.6 million apps, Remix OS seamlessly merges functionality, ease of use, and beauty in amazing ways to give you an unforgettable Android experience.”
The company sees Remix OS as an alternative platform for PC owners to use, opening up access to 1.6 million Android apps while maintaining the same level of multi-window productivity as traditional desktop operating systems. Remix OS can be installed to a USB stick, letting users take their PC with them in their pocket and use it wherever they are.
Remix OS for PC is based on the work of the open-source Android-x86 project, an established community that ports stock Google releases of Android to desktop computers. The completed OS will be available to download from Jide’s website from January 12.
