Remix OS beta: Install Android variant on any PC and Mac

Remix OS is a variant of Android designed to look and work like Windows 7, that can run any Android app in the Google Play store.

Written by James Kendrick, Contributor Feb. 23, 2016 at 4:55 a.m. PT

Jide originally produced Remix OS to run its Ultra Remix tablet. Much like the Microsoft Surface, we found the tablet to be a good system for productive work due to features unique for an Android system. These include multi-window multitasking, a powerful file manager, and the ability to use the keyboard and trackpad like any PC.

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Jide is releasing Remix OS as a beta download to install on any PC or Mac. It is a particularly good option for 32-bit systems which should run it very well. This makes it a good solution for older laptops that many have laying around unused. Install Remix OS and it can be a useful laptop at little cost. It is certainly a reasonable alternative to doing this with Chrome OS as it can run any Android app due to access to the Google Play store.

See Jide Remix Ultra Tablet with Remix OS review on ZDNet

I've used Remix OS for over a year on my Ultra Tablet and the feature that still impresses me is the ability to run multiple Android phone apps on the desktop at the same time. I regularly have three of them running at the same time and switch among them at will.

Unlike typical Android versions Remix OS has a desktop that is much like that on Windows 7. There is a familiar taskbar and a graphical task manager that many will find familiar. Remix OS is designed to be a productive work system and will surprise those who expect just another Android OS.

The beta version of Remix OS will be available on March 1 on the Jide web site. It can be installed as the only OS on any system and can also be installed on a dual-boot system with Windows or OS X.