kids-toy

If you have installed Android on your PC and find it inconvenient to use it, then this is not surprising, because Android was created for smartphones and tablets, not for PCs. But do not rush to fold your hands. Better try Remix OS, because in fact it is the same Android, but adapted for PC.

Thanks to Remix OS created on the basis android-x86you will be able to install and use apps for Android OS.

This will give you the following advantages over regular Android OS:

one. Multi-window and multi-tasking. Unlike the Android OS, here each application will be located inside its own window, as in Windows. At the same time, all these applications will be active at once.

2. Task bar. Here you will have a taskbar familiar to desktop operating systems, where you will see the icons of running applications. You can switch between applications by simply clicking on the desired icon.

3. Ease of use of mouse and keyboard. With Remix OS, you can use your mouse and keyboard just like you would on a desktop OS.

four. File managerwith which you can work with files in the same way as on desktop systems.

5. Handy tool screen capture with the possibility of cutting.

6. Regular Remix OS updates. With the OTA update program, you will receive the latest operating system updates automatically.

Preparing to Install Remix OS on Your Computer

After we have clarified the benefits that we will get after installing Remix OS on a computer, let’s try it. First check your computer if it meets the requirements:

• • • 2 GHz dual-core processor or better;
    • 2 GB RAM or more;
    • At least 8 GB of free disk space where the system will be installed;
    • Internet access required.

If your computer meets the requirements, download the distribution kit from this page. There are 32-bit and 64-bit OS versions to choose from. When you click on the “Mirror Download” or “Torrent Download” button, a window will appear prompting you to subscribe to receive updates (see below). You can enter your email address here and click the “Subscribe” button to subscribe, or click the “I have subscribed, skip” link below to skip the subscription.

Here you will also be offered a coupon for the Remix Mini mini computer (see picture below) measuring only 12.4 x 8.8 x 2.6 cm at a discounted price of $49.99. You can see the specifications here. But I won’t dwell on this computer anymore.

On the next page, you will be prompted to select the server from which you will download the distribution.

Installing Remix OS on a Computer

In total, developers offer 2 installation options: on a computer and on a USB flash drive. Both options assume that you will install using a special utility that only works on Windows 7, 8 and 10. First, let’s look at how to install Remix OS on a computer.

Unzip the archive you downloaded. I have this file Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_32bit_B2016081502.zip. As a result, I unpacked three files:

• • • Remix_OS_for_PC_Installation_Tool-B2016080802.exe – Remix OS installation utility;
    • Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_32bit_B2016081502.iso – Remix OS disk image.
    • How_to_launch_Remix_OS_for_PC.txt – a short instruction in English.

Make sure that your computer has a free logical disk with a capacity of at least 8 GB for Remix OS. Run the installation utility (I have the file Remix_OS_for_PC_Installation_Tool-B2016080802.exe). Specify the file with the Remix OS disk image (I have it C:Remix_OSRemix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_32bit_B2016081502.iso), select “Hard disk” in the “Type” field, and in the “Media” field – your free logical disk on which you want to install operating system (mine is drive E). Click OK.

If you have an old 32-bit processor, then you will see this warning. In this case, just make sure you select the Remix 32-bit OS image and click OK.

If the logical drive you are installing Remix OS on is large, you will see a dialog to choose the size of the system drive. It is recommended to choose the largest suggested size, because. in this case, you will be able to install more applications. Click OK.

The OS installation process will begin.

After everything is done, you will see a window as shown below. Click Restart Now.

First launch of Remix OS and initial setup

After installation and the first reboot of the computer, you will see a menu for choosing which operating system to boot. In fact, this menu will always appear after installing Remix OS on your computer. Select Remix OS here and press Enter.

The language selection screen will appear first after booting up. For some reason, only English and Chinese are represented here (although I may be wrong). But let’s not get upset. Select English here.

On the next screen, accept the user agreement by clicking Agree.

The next step is to set up WiFi right away. If your computer is connected to the internet directly through a network card, you can skip this setting by clicking “Skip” at the top of the screen. If you want to set up WiFi, then select your access point from the list.

After that, enter the password and click “Connect”.

The last step is an offer to immediately install some applications. Click here CONTINUE.

Then select applications and/or click on “NEXT >”.

At the end, confirm the installation of the application by clicking INSTALL.

And after installation, click on Finish.

The next step, the system will prompt you to activate your Google account. Click Next.

That’s it, setup is complete. You will see the Remix OS desktop.

Installing Remix OS on a flash drive

After we have covered installing Remix OS on a computer, let’s see how to install this OS on a flash drive. With a ready-made flash drive, you can move from computer to computer. In this case, all your documents, installed applications, games and settings will be saved on the flash drive. Those. your flash drive will be like a portable computer, but without a system unit, monitor, keyboard and mouse, and you will need a donor computer to work with your OS.

Unpack the archive you downloaded. I have this file Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_64bit_B2016081502.zip. As a result, I unpacked three files:

• • • Remix_OS_for_PC_Installation_Tool-B2016080802.exe – Remix OS installation utility;
    • Remix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_64bit_B2016081502.iso – Remix OS disk image.
    • How_to_launch_Remix_OS_for_PC.txt – a short instruction in English.

Connect a flash drive of 8 GB or more to your computer. It is advisable to use a flash drive with a write speed of 20MB / s. Run the installation utility (I have the file Remix_OS_for_PC_Installation_Tool-B2016080802.exe). Specify the file with the Remix OS disk image (I have it C:Remix_OSRemix_OS_for_PC_Android_M_64bit_B2016081502.iso), select “USB Device” in the “Type” field, and in the “Media” field – your flash drive on which you want to install the operating system (Mine is drive G). Click OK.

You will see a warning that all data on the flash drive will be deleted. Click OK.

The rest of the installation is similar to installation on a computer. At the end, you will see a window informing you that Remix OS has been successfully installed. The flash drive is ready. You can click on the “Restart now” button if you want to use the flash drive immediately on the same computer, or click on the “Exit” button to close the program. When booting the computer from a prepared Remix OS flash drive, make sure that booting from USB is enabled in the BIOS.

The first start and setup of the computer when using a USB flash drive is exactly the same as when installing Remix OS on a computer.

Enabling Russian language and Russian keyboard layout in Remix OS

Now let’s enable Russian language support. To do this, double-click on the Settings icon on the desktop and, in the pop-up window, find and click on the item “Language & Input“.

Here, select the topmost item “language“.

And in the list select “Russian“.

After that, the system interface will immediately become Russian-speaking, well, at least that part of Android that has remained untouched by the Remix operating system.

To enable support for the Russian layout, find in the settings “Language and Input” chapter “Physical keyboard” and click on the item “AT Translated Set 2 keyboard” (this may be the name of your physical keyboard, which is different from what you see in the picture).

In the window that appears, click on the “CUSTOMIZE KEYBOARD LAYOUTS“.

Select the desired layouts in the list that opens (I chose English and Russian) and go back.

The layout dialog will display the layouts you have selected.

That’s all the layouts are configured. Changing the layout using the key combination specified in the dialog CTRL + Space did not work for me, but earned with the help of a combination CTRL + ALT + Space.

I will not write anything more about the Remix OS system. You will be able to explore it yourself after installation on your computer.

Outcome

Well, the system turned out to be quite interesting. There are indeed elements of the user interface that were missing in Android for ordinary desktop PCs. But, unfortunately, the Android-x86 system is very capricious and may not work on any computer. Remix OS also inherits this shortcoming. Therefore, before installing it on your computer as a permanent system, first try how it works from a flash drive. And check how the Android apps you actively use work.