Can Android desktops disrupt the PC market?

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Opening Statements Bye Windows, hi Android

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: Of course Android-based PCs can replace Windows! Have you really looked at Windows 8.x's adoption numbers? Microsoft defenders like to spin them, but the bottom line is that neither consumers nor enterprises are buying it.

That leaves an opening for another desktop system. That system can be Android. It's already popular. It's already the dominant operating system on both tablets and smartphones And, unlike Windows 8.x's Metro interface, Android interface works just fine on PCs.

You don't have to believe me. Lenovo and HP believe users want Android on the desktop. You know, the world's number one and number two PC manufacturers. Two other companies you may have heard of, AMD and Intel, also see a future for Android on the PC. Last, but not least, there's this little business named Google backing up Android.

Does Microsoft have any PC friends left? I don't think so. With Surface, Microsoft has annoyed the hell out of its partners.

With Windows wounded and Android's already the top operating system on two of the big three personal computing platforms, why can't Android be number one not all three?

It can happen.

Android is no PC saviour

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Sales of desktop and notebook systems are plummeting as consumers choose to spend their money on smartphones and tablets, so PC OEMs have to come up with ways to make PCs sexy again. And one idea that some OEMs are trying is replacing Windows with ... Android.

Yes, Android. The same Android operating system that powers hundreds of millions of smartphones and tablets.

No one has explained the theory behind this to me, but I think it goes something like this. People aren't buying Windows-powered PC, but they are buying smartphones and tablets by the millions. Many of these devices are powered by Android, so the reason that people aren't buying PCs much be down to the fact that they aren't running Android. So, all you need to do to sell PCs is put Android on them.

Hmmm, while I'm all for innovation, I really don't think that this is going to amount to much, and it certainly won't disrupt the PC market.