Intel Porting Android for x86 Notebooks, Tablets

Intel is porting Android to x86 for Atom-based devices.

Intel is reportedly working on a fully native x86 version of Google's Android operating system for Atom-powered netbooks and tablets. The company may actually porting the highly-anticipated "Froyo" v2.2--Google released the SDK back in May and just made the source code available on Wednesday. However this of course may depend on whether Google will finalize FroYo before Intel's expected release of the x86 Android OS later this summer.

Originally Android was written to run on ARM processors. However Intel's senior vice president and general manager of the Software and Services Group Renee James said that the process of "Atomizing" the OS wasn't difficult at all thanks to the company's previous experience with Linux. The overall process is expected to wrap up soon.

"Our expectation is that (native x86 Android) will be based on the Froyo release and will be available this summer to developers," James said. She also added that the code used to construct the x86 Android OS will be piped back into the "open branch," and will be accessible to the Android developer community.

Although the software is expected to be used on Atom-based tablets and netbooks, Intel is hoping that this port will provide hardware partners another OS-based option for Atom-powered smartphones in the future.

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8

kyeana , June 25, 2010 12:32 AM

That is good news, although personally i would still prefer a normal linux distribution on a netbook, as they have much larger distro specific repositories.

I do like all the love android is getting though
7

anonymous@guest , June 25, 2010 2:49 AM

I think Intel is just covering all their bases so that Moorestown takes off properly in the smart phone market. They have MeeGo and Android ready for their chips which will make them more attractive to hardware developers.
3

crashtest , June 25, 2010 1:13 AM

webbwbbThat last paragraph is very quizzical. I really do not know how or why Intel thinks Atom processors would work in a smart phone. If they are able to achieve massive power reductions they will still be about 10 times what they should which will not only drain a battery but may even require an active cooling system. It just seems like an unachievable goal.

They are talking about Moorestown

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