Android x86 4.4 Nears Its Final Release

The Android x86 port that allows Google's Android operating system to run nicely on AMD and Intel hardware is nearing its 4.4 release derived from the upstream KitKat 4.4.2 release. Available for Valentine's Day is the final release candidate.

Android x86 4.4-RC1 is an x86 port of "KitKat" from ARM. The Android x86 code is intended to run well on netbooks and tablets and offers OpenGL ES hardware acceleration for AMD Radeon and Intel graphics processors via Mesa. Android x86 4.4 has an improved installer, uses the Linux 3.10 kernel, provides a KitKat-style launcher, has most hardware functionality supported, supports multiple users, and has other features ported over from Android for ARM. Android x86 can also run in QEMU and VMware virtualized environments.

More details on Android x86 4.4-RC1 can be found at android-x86.org.