Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Android
    • Android
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware
    • Servers

    AMD Supporting Project to Bring Android to PCs: Report

    By
    Jeff Burt
    -
    December 6, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Advanced Micro Devices reportedly is backing an open-source project that is looking to port Google’s Android operating system onto PCs powered by x86-based processors.

      Meanwhile, officials with AMD rival Intel are saying that the goal of their joint efforts with Google is not to bring Android to PCs, but to enable it to run on mobile computing devices-specifically smartphones and tablets-that are powered by Intel’s Atom platform.

      The open-source project Android-x86, which AMD is backing with money, equipment and people, is being led by developer Chih-Wei Huang. Huang told The Register that AMD had donated two tablets and has a couple of engineers helping with the project. With that backing, the porting of Android to AMD’s x86-based “Brazos” platform is mostly complete and the source code is now available.

      The project-which is not authorized by Google-is looking to port the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android to the x86 platform, according to Huang.

      The Android-x86 project would enable PC users to run Android on their systems, which now are dominated by Microsoft’s Windows OS. The effort also is the latest illustration of the ongoing erosion of the once-dominant Wintel architecture that has reigned in the PC space but has seen pressure from such areas as Android and smaller, more energy-efficient mobile chips based on the architecture from ARM Holdings.

      Both Microsoft and Intel have looked to expand their respective reaches into the booming mobile computing space of smartphones and tablets that is dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems, and ARM-based chips from the likes of Nvidia, Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics. Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 OS will be designed to run not only on PCs, but also on tablets that run on either the x86 platform or system-on-a-chip (SoC) architectures, particularly ARM’s.

      Meanwhile, Intel is looking to leverage its x86 technology-not only in its Core processors but also its Atom platform-to push its way into the tablet and smartphone markets. It’s also working with Google to optimize Android to run on tablets and smartphones that are powered by Atom chips. Intel executives intend to have Atom-powered smartphones out on the market in 2012.

      Intel reportedly has little interest in bringing Android to the PC space, and apparently is not interested in contributing to a project that could fuel the fragmentation of the Android OS. In his interview with The Register, Huang said he had contacted Intel about the Android-x86 project, but had gotten only negative responses.

      “AMD provides great support to us, including devices donation and engineer’s support,” Huang said in a thread on the project’s forum. “On the other hand, Intel still refuses to provide any help to this project. They closed all contact windows I’ve ever tried.”

      In an interview with EE Times, Alec Gefrides, manager of Intel’s Google Program Office, said that Intel and Google are focusing on running Android on x86-based smartphones and tablets, not PCs.

      “If you pull the x86 version of Android down from the AOSP [Google’s official Android Open Source Project] and compile it, it will run on any x86 device,” Gefrides said. “But that’s not the intent, neither ours nor Google’s. Our focus is to get phones and tablets on our Atom product line up and running on Android. That’s what we’ve been focused on, that’s what we’ve been working with Google on.”

      Jeff Burt
      Jeffrey Burt has been with eWEEK since 2000, covering an array of areas that includes servers, networking, PCs, processors, converged infrastructure, unified communications and the Internet of things.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×