14 DAY TRIAL // In an earlier piece, we talked extensively about a particular Android variation called Remix OS that has been customized to feel more like Windows. The mobile operating system is currently available on the Cube i7 Remix tablet and offers the possibility to use apps in windows.
Well, it seems like other Chinese companies are also trying their hand at building an Android-based alternative to Windows, as low-cost chip maker Rockchip has just launched its own solution, called Light Work OS. This is basically a customized version of Android 5.1 Lollipop with a Start Menu, taskbar and support for running apps in window mode (as spotted at Mike Cane).
The new OS will make its debut on the Pipo P9 tablet, which is a slate reportedly coming with a 10.1-inch display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and a Rockchip RK3288 processor fitted with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
You will soon be able to give Light Work OS a try
Rockchip is probably hoping to counter the assault of low-cost Windows-based tablets that are based on Intel Atom chips (and are sometimes called Wintel slates). By adding Windows-like features into its Light Work OS, Rockchip is hoping to bring users the best of both worlds.
The merger between Android and Windows has started some time ago and some folks seem to believe there will be no problem for Android to actually run on a desktop computer. Popular Windows apps like Microsoft Office, Photoshop and VLC have already been offered on Android, but the experience is a little bit different from what one is accustomed to in Windows.
Other attempts at bringing Android and Windows together have been the dual boot tablets. ASUS unveiled the Transformer Book Duet back in 2014 during the CES 2015 event in Las Vegas, but soon the device got cancelled, reportedly due to opposition from Google and Microsoft.
However, the dual-boot concept wasn’t easily killed in China, where laws apparently apply differently. For example, Pipo offers the W3F tablet, which can boot between Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Going back to the Pipo P9 model, if users don’t like the new Light Work OS, they can easily go back to stock Android (5.1 Lollipop).
