Can I install "Android" on a netbook? Yes, it's possible. What's more, this mobile operating system works amazingly well on any Windows device, including desktops. It's free, unlike Windows or Mac, and it's sleeker and easier to use than Linux.
Android is an OS aimed at smartphones and tablets, which is a mobile operating system par excellence. Therefore, it may seem strange to have it on a laptop or netbook, but this does not mean that it is impossible. The main reason why Android often does not work on such devices is related to the hardware. Most netbooks and mini-notebooks are powered by Intel or AMD processors, which are designed specifically to run on the x86 instruction set. Android, on the other hand, was designed with mobile device processors in mind, using the ARM architecture.
However, devices with ports running on x86 have recently appeared, and some users can use Android OS as a secondary operating system on laptops. This is mainly done in order to have accessto the thousands of Android apps available only in the Android Market.
Android OS on netbook or smartbook
There is a class of devices (very rarely used these days) called smartbooks. They were designed to run Android and other open source software and featured features related to mobile devices: great connectivity, portability, long battery life. All this was housed in one device, which cost much less than a netbook or laptop.
Smartbooks were pushed out of the market by netbooks and tablets, but some models are still in use. In fact, they are a tablet with a keyboard and mainly contain applications specially designed for smartphones and tablets. But, since today they are quite rare, you should figure out how to install "Android" on a netbook or laptop.
Convenience in functionality
Note that Android is designed to use less power than Windows. For this reason, it offers rather mediocre performance. The power of this shell is not designed for playing HD-videos or games, but for browsing the web and working with entertainment applications, it is quite suitable. According to user reviews, this operating system is very convenient for solving simple tasks.
Ready netbook on Android system
As already mentioned, the era of smartbooksis coming to an end. The most famous gadget with a mobile OS can be called Toshiba AC100 - a 10-inch netbook running on Android 2.2 and a Tegra class processor. It is commercially available and is currently available with 32 GB of internal memory and 512 MB of RAM. In principle, with such indicators it can be used for simple work and entertainment. Its significant advantage is that it can operate on a single charge for about 8 hours and also comes with an HDMI port. You should not try to use it for productive work, but for simple surfing the Internet and low-capacity games, it is fine.
Other manufacturers have also produced a range of smartbooks in their time. At the same time, the developers went a little aside and began to make new generation devices. Yes, today you can find a Samsung netbook on Android, but this is already a transformer. At its core, it's a tablet that comes with a docking station and keyboard. This device looks and works just like a netbook, which has received rave reviews from users.
Modern models even allow you to connect a mouse to your tablet for an almost identical user experience.
However, to find such a Samsung or Asus netbook on Android, you will have to search for a very long time. As the reviews suggest, most people choose to purchase either a tablet (which will have light touch input) or a netbook (which comes with a full-sized keyboard and will run a full "desktop" OS). Temhowever, given that the Android OS today is adapted to work with Intel or AMD processors, it can offer a worthy alternative to Windows.
Can I install it myself
Currently, you can install "Android" on a netbook by downloading the x86 version of Android and installing it as a second additional OS on your computer. This can be done with tools like unetbootin that allow you to boot from a USB stick.
To do this, take a 10-inch netbook (Asus Eee PC is the most popular among them) and download any version of "Android" on it yourself.
As noted above, the Android market is very large these days and most of the apps you prefer to use on your mobile devices will work just as well on your netbook. Of course, you'll lose the touchscreen experience, but you get a keyboard, touchpad, plenty of USB ports, and a micro-SD card slot. It sounds very attractive, so if you have a netbook available, then it's definitely worth trying to install "Android" on it. How to do it?
Download "Android" to your main computer
The first thing you need to do is visit the Android x86 download page and select the correct ISO file to download. New versions are at the bottom of the list. This article provides an example with version4.0. It can be found in the section called "Android platforms x86-4.0-RC1" You will be presented with several different options, so try to choose the one that suits you best. For example, there is an option "ASUS Eee PC family netbook", which will be recommended for netbooks of this brand. The installation process is simple and not very lengthy, so don't be afraid to try another ISO later if the first one doesn't work. Just download the file on whatever computer you use - the device doesn't have to be the same device you want to install Android on.
Copy ISO file to USB drive
Once you have your downloaded ISO image, you will need to transfer it to your netbook. Since most gadgets don't support CDs, the best way is to download a tool called Unetbootin Help. After downloading it, just run the file and you will see a screen with the program interface.
Click on the button with three dots on the right side of the window and select the ISO file you downloaded. Then select the drive you want to copy the ISO to. Wait until all information is downloaded to the USB stick you have chosen. Make sure you copy everything you want to keep!
Once the download is complete, click OK. A pop-up window will appear for a short time, showing a horizontal bar for the file download, and then when the operation is completed, you will be informed and asked if you want to restart your computer. Click "no" andremove the USB stick.
Prepare netbook for installation
Now that you have saved the ISO file to USB, you are almost ready for the process of installing "Android" on your netbook. If you have any files on your hard drive that you would be sorry to lose (such as photos, documents, or videos), be sure to save them to a flash drive. Even though data not on boot disks should be backed up, there is always a risk that something will go wrong, so it's best to take every precaution.
Connect the USB storage on the netbook. You will need to press one key (most likely Delete or one of the F keys, i.e. F1) to select the device from which to boot. Here you need to select a USB drive from the list. If you are not able to get into the boot menu, you will need to go into the BIOS and change the boot order - set one in which the USB drive will be displayed before any other device. After that, you can directly proceed with the steps on how to install "Android".
Set boot process
After you have set your boot order and inserted the USB, you can download the Android GUI installer for x86. This menu will give you the option to download Android 4.0 directly without installation, and you can try using this OS right away. However, if you want to install the mobile operating system permanently, this step is optional.
At this stage, you will have to select the drive where you will install "Android" on the netbook - you can choose any partition in ext3/ext2 (Linux) or NTFS/FAT32 (for Windows). You don't have to format (or even clean) the drive you're installing the shell to, but it's still worth keeping a backup of the files.
After you have selected a drive, you will be prompted to select the size of the partition to install. Move forward through the menu and choose the maximum size (which is usually 2048 MB). This will take some time, depending on the speed of your hard drive. You will also be able to create a virtual SD card at this time and after that you will be prompted to restart your computer. Do this and don't forget to remove the USB drive when the netbook is shutting down.
Direct installation process
Now you have to download the installed Android OS to the netbook. Select the first item in the boot menu and your netbook will start running Android. Initially, you will see white text on a black background followed by a glowing Android logo, and then finally the OS itself will boot and display a screen that says "Welcome". You will be prompted to connect to a wireless network, sign in to your Google account, and some other basic questions (about the current time and so on) will become available. After entering these options, the download is complete and you finally get to the Android desktop. The model of your gadget does not matter - "Android" on a netbook"Asus" is installed in the same way as on "Samsung", "Acer" and so on.
Android settings and options
After the shell is downloaded and running on your device, you should deal with it and install some unique useful applications. Such services are constantly updated and supplemented, so stay tuned.
Of course, a netbook doesn't have a touchscreen, but Android still supports touchpads, keyboards, and peripherals via USB connections. By installing "Android" on a netbook, you can use docking stations and add-ons at your own discretion - restrictions may be imposed solely by the features of your device. What other benefits can be found?
Financial benefit and no licenses
Everyone knows that Microsoft requires a lot of roy alties to use its Windows operating system, while Google does not offer any fees for Android. Operating on the basis of Linux, "Android" will help save both on its own maintenance and on downloading various programs.
Appearance and screen interface
Getting used to the interface can take some time for those who are used to constantly working on Windows. We can say that this is one of the main reasons why many are in no hurry to change the OS on their device. At present, "Android" is actively developed, and each new version looks more beautiful and nicer, which can't stayunnoticed. Google is trying to compete and therefore is constantly looking for new advantages over Microsoft. Of course, today it is too early to talk about a complete victory in this fight, but there are some prerequisites for success.
Easy to use
Netbooks are designed primarily for small and non-durable work, so a simple OS is much better and more harmonious. Windows can be difficult to use, require constant updates, and some features are completely useless for users who just want to surf the web and write emails. As a rule, high functionality and high capabilities are required for the operation of stationary large devices.
In turn, the Android OS on a netbook, which is said to be user-friendly, can simplify the computing process with a simple user interface and online applications (such as Google Docs). Google services were practically designed to be simple working tools and gain popularity among ordinary users. An additional bonus is a large number of games available for free.
