Now, you might install it on a USB stick and try it out on your setup.

Heres how to try out theveryexperimental alpha.

In our testing, there were considerably more than two bugs.

What Youll Need

By default, RemixOS runs on a USB stick.

If you plan to use Resident mode to keep your desktop persistent, youll obviously want more.

Also, Jide recommends a stick with 20MB/s write speeds (thepreviously recommendedSanDisk Extremeshould work very well).

ARM-based computers (such as many Chromebooks) and older Macs will not work.

Youll also need a Windows PC to create the USB stick.

you might find more info onhow to boot from USB in our guide here.

when you obtain everything you need, its time to get started.

Once youve downloaded the RemixOS installation files, take these actions:

Plug in your blank USB stick.

Extract the files in the RemixOS for PC .zip file.

Launch the RemixOS USB Tool executable file.

Next to ISO hit the Browse button and choose the RemixOS .iso file.

Next to USB Disk choose the drive letter associated with the USB stick you plugged in.

The installer will begin creating your RemixOS USB stick immediately.

This process will take a few minutes.

As we briefly mentioned above, you will have two options when you first boot into RemixOS.

Heres how they work:

Guest Mode:This allows you to preview how RemixOS works.

Resident Mode:This will treat your USB stick like a portable computer.

Any configs you change will be remembered, no matter which computer you plug it into.

Apps you install and files you download will be written to the USB stick.

This means the bigger your USB stick is, the more space youll have to install things.

They may not work very well, no matter what RemixOS does.

Android apps workprettywell with a traditional interface, but you should still expect some bumps along the road.

Ensure you have the correct version, where applicable.

For reference, RemixOS runs Android 5.1.1. kick off the controls app, click Security, and enable installing from Unknown sources.

Launch the Downloads app and nudge the APK you downloaded, then follow the prompts to install it.

So, How Is It?

After all that, youre probably wondering if its worth going to all the trouble.

Well, heres the short answer: kind of?

Its a developer and enthusiast-focused alpha.

What does work, however, paints a pretty rosy picture for Android on the desktop.

For starters, RemixOS has tweaked Androids basic interface to feel a lot more at home on the desktop.

Frankly, it looks a lot more like a clone of Windows 10 than it does Android.

Android apps also scale pretty well.

RemixOS allows you to arbitrarily resize windows, much like you do on Windows and OS X.

Despite that, the feature works pretty flawlessly.

If you make a window small enough, the app will default to a phone-style interface.

Larger windows will use tablet-style interfaces, where available.

Ultimately, the problems with app compatibility means that RemixOS is unlikely to replace anyones daily driver.