Skip to main content

Phoenix OS is (another) Android-as-a-desktop

Google Android may have been developed as a smartphone operating system (and later ported to tablets, TVs, watches, and other platforms), but over the past few years we’ve seen a number of attempts to turn it into a desktop operating system.
One of the most successful has been Remix OS, which gives Android a taskbar, start menu, and an excellent window management system. The Remix OS team has also generated a lot of buzz over the past year, and this week the operating system gained a lot of new alpha testers thanks to a downloadable version of Remix OS that you can run on many recent desktop or notebook computers.
But Remix OS isn’t the only game in town. Phoenix OS is another Android-as-desktop operating system, and while it’s still pretty rough around the edges, there are a few features that could make it a better option for some testers.
phoenix_01

Some background

I first discovered Phoenix OS from a post in the Remix OS Google Group, although I’ve also found mentions of the operating system at the xda-developers forum, and from the makers of the UP single-board computer with an Intel Cherry Trail chip.
Phoenix OS is available as a downloadable custom ROM that you can install on a Google Nexus 9 or Nexus 10 tablet. But you can also download an x86 version that can be loaded on a USB flash drive and run on a computer.
I took the x86 version for a spin, and found that, like Remix OS for PC, Phoenix OS(x86) seems to be a heavily customized version of Android 5.1 Lollipop based on Android-x86 project code. 
Update: Whoops. It does *not* support 32-bit chips. I was mistaken because the download page says the operating system is 32-bit, and it loads on an older laptop that would not work with Remix OS, but that laptop does have a 64-bit processor. When I tried Phoenix OS on a netbook with a 32-bit Intel Atom N270 processor, the operating system would not run. 

How it looks

The basic layout of Phoenix OS should be familiar to anyone that’s used Remix OS (or Windows, for that matter). There’s a taskbar and a desktop.
phoenix_02
You can access a menu with a list of your apps as well as shortcuts for settings, computer information, and power options by clicking the Phoenix logo in the bottom left corner. And there are status icons on the right, including a notification icon that brings up a notification window from the right side of the screen.
The first time you launch the app menu it will run in full-screen mode, but you can tap an arrow icon to shrink it so that it just hangs out in the corner of your screen.
phoenix start
Most Android apps can be run in Phoenix OS, but instead of launching in full screen mode, they’ll typically launch in smaller windows. You can maximize most apps to have them fill the whole screen, and some apps and games will only run in this mode. But if you want to view multiple apps at once, you can do that: just drag the sides of the app until the window is the size and shape you’d like and position a bunch of windows around the screen so that you can, for instance, write a Word document while reading your email or surfing the web.
Sometimes when resizing a browser window, I noticed that text/font sizes didn’t automatically adjust to the new size, so I had to refresh the web page. And sometimes after resizing a window, I found it tricky to drag and drop that window to a new position on the screen without accidentally maximizing it. But overall the window system seems to work pretty well.
phoenix_03
The version of Phoenix OS(x86) I downloaded does not include Google Mobile Services, so there’s no Google Play Store, Gmail, Chrome, or other Google apps. But you can easily download and install apps from third-party sources such asAPK Mirror.
There’s also a Chinese app store included, but I’ve found that it can be tough to navigate if you don’t read Chinese, and some apps may not be what you think they are.

How to run Phoenix OS(x86)

These instructions assume you’re using a Windows computer. You may need to improvise a bit if you’re using OS X or Linux.
1. Plug a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of disk space into your computer. Make sure to save any important data, since you’re going to wipe all data from the drive in step four.
2. Download the latest Phoenix OS(x86) ZIP from the download page.
3. Download the USBMaker tool from the same page.
4. Run USBMaker.exe and select the ZIP file you just downloaded, the drive letter for your flash drive, and then click the “write” box.
phoenix creator
  • If you can’t read the Chinese characters in the USBMaker.exe tool, the button next to the top line says “browse” and this is what you click to locate your ZIP file.
  • The second entry is for the drive letter. Select the appropriate option.
  • The button next to the third line says “Write,” and this is what you click to start preparing the disk.
  • You’ll see a green progress indicator in the box next to the Write button, and when the process is complete there will be a pop-up to let you know it’s safe to remove your drive or reboot your computer.
5. Once that’s done, just plug the USB flash drive into the computer you want to run Phoenix OS on, boot the computer, and choose the USB flash drive from the boot options menu.
On my Samsung laptop, I hit F10 during boot to choose the flash drive. On an Asus model, I was able to do the same thing by hitting Esc. Your procedure will vary depending on your computer, and not every PC is guaranteed to work.
You might be able to get an idea of whether your system will run Phoenix OS by checking out the hardware compatibility page on the Android-x86 site.
6. The first time you run Phoenix OS you’ll probably be greeted by some Chinese characters. This is a drop-down box that lets you select your language. Just click the box and choose English if you’d prefer to change the default language.

Initial verdict

I don’t know that much about Phoenix OS. It sure looks a lot like Remix OS, but there are a few key differences in settings manager, default file browser, and the way window management works.
At this point it seems to support a wider range of hardware than Remix OS, works with a 4GB USB flash drive (Remix recommends 8GB), and doesn’t seem to have problems running on devices with USB 2.0 ports (Remix recommends USB 3.0).
Like Remix OS, this operating system runs from a USB flash drive and doesn’t make any changes to your computer. You can pull out the flash drive and insert it into another computer and all of your apps and settings will be available. Everything runs in what Remix calls “resident mode,” which means that if you install an app or login to an account, it will all be available next time you boot into Phoenix OS.
Those features certainly go in the Pro category.
phoenix_04
But the developers of Remix OS have released their own hardware and worked with tablet and notebook makers to release official builds of the operating system for those devices. So they’ve got a lot of expertise in this area… and the company that develops Remix OS was founded by three former Google employees who are still in touch with folks at their former employer to make sure their software is compatible with Google’s guidelines.
Given that I don’t know very much about the developers  of Phoenix OS, I wasn’t particularly anxious to try loading Google Mobile Services on the device and enter my Google account credentials. But I don’t really have a problem doing that with Remix OS.
Still, Phoenix OS definitely seems like a project worth keeping an eye on.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How ad-free subscriptions could solve Facebook

At the core of Facebook’s “well-being” problem is that its business is directly coupled with total time spent on its apps. The more hours you pass on the social network, the more ads you see and click, the more money it earns. That puts its plan to make using Facebook healthier at odds with its finances, restricting how far it’s willing to go to protect us from the harms of over use. The advertising-supported model comes with some big benefits, though. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly said that “We will always keep Facebook a free service for everyone.” Ads lets Facebook remain free for those who don’t want to pay, and more importantly, for those around the world who couldn’t afford to. Ads pay for Facebook to keep the lights on, research and develop new technologies, and profit handsomely in a way that attracts top talent and further investment. More affluent users with more buying power in markets like the US, UK, and Canada command higher ad prices, effectively

Best Web Design Company in Pondicherry

#Technology    has two faces. We all feel it, but sometimes can’t find words to describe it.  #Ebooks    are the best example to show the 0-1 nature of emotions the  #technology  evokes. #itwhere    provide a  #Best     #solutions    to  #Growyourbusiness    feel free to drop a  #Mail    info@itwheretech.co.in www.itwheretech.co.in 

HOW TO CREATE UEFI BOOTABLE USB DRIVE TO INSTALL WINDOWS 8/8.1

Before comes  Windows 8 and Windows 8.1  you made the bootable iso  for  Windows 7. Boot from USB and start to setup the Windows 7.  Windows 8/8.1  don’t include the traditional BIOS . They use UEFI firmware  so you must follow another way to create a bootable USB . If you interest to read what is UEFI  you can find a small description  here  and more details here . UEFI  is more secure and faster than traditional  BIOS  but here comes the problem when you try to boot from an iso file to install  Windows 8/8.1 . I have spent lot of hours until found the right way to boot from a USB to install  Windows 8/8.1 . As an IT when  Windows 8 realeased I download the iso,  create the bootable usb to start the installation but never boot.I change USB , download again the iso , create multiple times the bootable usb but every time the same results. After lot of search I understand that must create a  UEFI bootable USB  to start the installation of   Windows 8/8.1 . Follow I will exp

Windows 10 for phones will be released on this Friday

Microsoft's head of the Windows Insider program, Gabe Aul, has announced today on Windows Weekly that they will release a  new build of Windows 10 for phones  on Friday at 10 AM PT. Windows 10 release date A few weeks back, the company announced a new list of supported devices for the next release but for the version that will be released on Friday, the Lumia Icon and Lumia 930 will not be supported. Gabe said during the announcement that it came down to the new UI being too small on these devices and as such, will not be included in this release. List of supported devices Lumia 1020 Lumia 1320 Lumia 1520 Lumia 520 Lumia 525 Lumia 526 Lumia 530 Lumia 530 Dual Sim Lumia 535 Lumia 620 Lumia 625 Lumia 630 Lumia 630 Dual Sim Lumia 635 Lumia 636 Lumia 638 Lumia 720 Lumia 730 Lumia 730 Dual SIM Lumia 735 Lumia 810 Lumia 820 Lumia 822 Lumia 830 Lumia 920 Lumia 925 Lumia 928 Lumia ICON Microsoft Lumia 430 Microsoft Lumia 435 Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM D