"Android" on the netbook: installation, settings, reviews

Can I install the "Android" on the netbook? Yes, it is possible. Moreover, this mobile operating system works surprisingly well on any device on "Windows", including on stationary computers. It is provided for free, unlike Windows or Mac, and is more elegant and easier to use than Linux.

Android is an OS aimed at smartphones and tablets, which is the mobile operating system for the most part. So it may seem strange to have it on a laptop or netbook, but that does not mean it's impossible. The main reason why "Android" often does not work on such devices is connected with the equipment. Most netbooks and mini-notebooks operate on the basis of Intel or AMD processors, which are designed specifically for working on the x86 instruction set. "Android", on the other hand, was developed with the focus on mobile device processors using ARM architecture.

However, recently there are devices with ports running on x86, and some users can use the Android OS as a secondary operating system on laptops. Basically, this is done in order to have access to thousands of applications for "Android", available only in the Android Market.

OS "Android" on a netbook or smartbook

There is a class of devices (now very rarely used), called smartbooks. They were designed to run Android and other open source software and featured functionality related to mobile devices: excellent communication, portability, long battery life. All this was located in one device, which was much cheaper than a netbook or laptop.

Smartbooks have been pushed out of the market by netbooks and tablets, but some models still remain in use. In fact, they are a tablet with a keyboard and mainly contain applications specifically designed for smartphones and tablets. But, since today they are quite rare, you should understand how to install "Android" on a netbook or laptop.

Convenience in functionality

It is worth noting that Android is designed in such a way to use less energy than Windows. For this reason, it offers a fairly mediocre performance. The power of this shell is not designed to play HD-video or games, but it is quite suitable for viewing web pages and working with entertainment applications. According to user feedback, this operating system is very convenient for solving simple problems.

Ready netbook on the system "Android"

As already mentioned, the era of smartbooks is coming to an end. The most famous gadget with a mobile OS can be called the Toshiba AC100 - a 10-inch netbook running on Android 2.2 and a processor of the Tegra class. It is available now and has 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 work on a single charge for about 8 hours, and also comes with an HDMI port. Do not try to use it for productive work, but for simple surfing on the Internet and low-end games it is quite suitable.

Other manufacturers also produced a number of smartbooks. However, the developers went a little to the side and began to make devices of a new generation. Yes, today you can find Samsung's netbook on "Android", but it's already a transformer. At its core, this is a tablet, supplied with a docking station and keyboard. This device looks and works just like a netbook, which received rave reviews among users.

Modern models even allow you to connect the mouse to the tablet, thereby creating an almost identical user experience.

However, to find such a netbook Samsung or Asus on Android, have to look very long. As follows from the reviews, most people prefer to purchase either a tablet (which will have easy touch input), or a netbook (which comes with a full-blown keyboard and will run on a full "desktop" OS). Nevertheless, given that Android OS is now adapted to work with Intel or AMD processors, it can offer a worthy alternative to "Windows".

Is it possible to perform a stand-alone installation

Currently, you can install "Android" on a netbook by downloading the x86 version of Android and installing it as the second additional OS on the computer. This can be done with tools such as unetbootin, which allow you to boot from a USB drive.

To do this, take a 10-inch netbook (Asus Eee PC is the most popular among them) and download to it any version of "Android" yourself.

As already mentioned above, the Android market is very large these days, and most of the applications that you prefer to use on mobile devices will work just as well on your netbook. Of course, you will lose the capabilities available for the touch screen, but you get a keyboard, a touchpad, a large number of USB ports and a micro-SD card slot. This sounds very attractive, so if you have a netbook in your hands, then definitely try installing "Android" on it. How can this be done?

Download "Android" to your main computer

The first thing you need to do is to visit the Android x86 download page and select the correct ISO file to download. The new versions are at the bottom of the list. This article shows an example with version 4.0. It can be found in the section titled "Android platforms x86-4.0-RC1". You will be offered several different options, so try to choose the one that is most suitable for you. For example, there is a variant of "netbook ASUS Eee PC family", which will be recommended for netbooks of this brand. The installation process is simple and not very long, so do not be afraid to try setting another ISO later if the first one does not work. Just download the file on any computer that you use - the device should not be the same one on which you want to install Android.

Copy ISO file to USB storage

Once you have received the downloaded ISO image, you will have to transfer it to your netbook. Since most gadgets do not support CDs, the best way is to download a tool called Unetbootin Help. After downloading it, simply run the file and you will see a screen with the interface of the program.

Click the button with three dots in the right part of the window and select the ISO file that you downloaded. Then select the drive to which you want to copy the ISO. Wait until all information is downloaded to the USB drive that you selected. Be sure to copy everything you want to save!

Once the download is complete, click OK. A pop-up window will appear for a short while in which a horizontal file download bar is displayed, and then upon completion of the operation you will be informed and you will be asked if you want to restart the computer. Click "No" and remove the USB drive.

Prepare the netbook for installation

Now that you have saved the ISO file to USB, you are almost ready to install the "Android" netbook. If you have any files on the hard drive that you will be sorry to lose (for example, photos, documents or videos), be sure to save them on the USB flash drive. Despite the fact that data not on the boot disks should be preserved, there is always a risk that something will go wrong, therefore it is better to take all security measures.

Plug the USB drive into 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 download. Here you need to select USB-drive from the list. If you can not get into the boot menu, you need to go into the BIOS and change the boot order - set it so that the USB drive is displayed earlier than any other device. After that, you will be able to directly begin the steps of how to install "Android."

Set the boot process

Once you have installed your boot order and inserted the USB, you can download the installation program with a graphical interface for Android for x86. This menu will give you the option of downloading Android 4.0 directly without installation, and you can try using this OS immediately. However, if you want to install the mobile operating system on an ongoing basis, this step is not necessary.

At this stage you will have to choose the disk where the "Android" installation will go to the netbook - you can select any partition in ext3 / ext2 (Linux) or NTFS / FAT32 (for Windows). You do not need to format (or even clean up) the drive on which you are installing the shell, but you still need to back up the files.

After you have selected a disk, you will be prompted to select the size of the partition to install. Advance the menu forward and choose the maximum size (which is usually 2048 MB). It will take some time, depending on the speed of your hard drive. You can also create a virtual SD card at this time, and after that you will be prompted to restart the computer. Do this, and do not forget to remove the USB drive when the netbook turns off.

Direct installation process

Now you must download the installed OS "Android" to the netbook. Select the first item in the boot menu, and your netbook will start running on Android. Initially, you will see white text on a black background with a subsequent luminous Android logo, and then, finally, the OS itself will boot and a screen with the words "Welcome" will be displayed. You will be asked to connect to a wireless network, log in to your Google account, and some other basic questions (about current time and so on) will become available. After the introduction of these settings, the download is complete, and you finally get to the Android desktop. The model of your gadget does not matter - "Android" on netbook "Asus" is installed exactly the same as on Samsung, Acer and so on.

Settings and options "Android"

After the shell is loaded and functioning on your device, you need to understand it and install several unique useful applications. Such services are constantly updated and supplemented, so stay tuned for news.

Of course, the netbook does not have a touch screen, but Android still supports touch panels, keyboards and peripherals using USB connections. Installing "Android" on a netbook, you can use docking stations and add-ons at your own discretion - restrictions can only be imposed by the features of your device. What other advantages can be found?

Financial benefits and lack of licenses

Everyone knows that Microsoft requires a lot of royalties to use its Windows operating system, while Google does not expect any payments for Android. Operating on the basis of Linux, "Android" will help you save both on your own maintenance, so on downloading various programs.

Appearance and interface of the screen

Adapting to the interface may take some time for those who are used to constantly work on Windows. We can say that this is one of the main reasons why many are slow to change the OS on their device. Currently, "Android" is actively developing, and each new version looks prettier and more pleasant, which can not go unnoticed. Google is trying to compete and is therefore constantly looking for new advantages over Microsoft. Of course, today it's too early to talk about a complete victory in this fight, but some prerequisites for success are evident.

Easy to use

Netbooks are designed primarily for small and non-long work, so a simple OS is much better and more harmonious. Windows can be difficult to use, constantly require updates, and some functions are completely useless for users who want to simply browse the web and write messages by e-mail. As a rule, high functionality and great capabilities are required for the operation of stationary large devices.

In turn, the OS "Android" on a netbook, reviews of which speak about its convenience, can simplify the computing process due to a simple user interface and online applications (for example, Google documents). Services "Google" were almost created in order to be simple working tools and to gain popularity among ordinary users. An additional bonus can be considered a large number of games available for free.