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Try the new Android 2.2 OS on your PC

James Thornton

James Thornton

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Today I’ve been trying out the new Android FroYo OS, and guess what? It’s delicious. Almost as tasty as an Apple, in fact. Standout features of the new Google Mobile OS include a much faster web browser with support for Flash 10.1, performance enhancements, and an beefed-up Android Market.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZYSVr2Bhc[/youtube]

As you’ll see from the video, Android 2.2 makes some significant changes over the previous version. But don’t just take Google’s word for it. Why not try out the new operating system yourself on your PC? All you need to do is download the Android SDK and follow this process:

1. Unzip the downloaded file and launch the SDK Setup executable. Highlight the Available Packages option in the left-hand column and expand the list within Sties, Packages and Archives. Check the option to install SDK Platform Android 2.2, API 8, revision 1. Now click Install Selected.

2. After the package has finished downloading, go to the Virtual Devices option and click on the New button. Enter a name for your virtual device and choose the Android 2.2 package from the Target drop-down list. Now click on the Create AVD button.

3. Your new virtual Android device, running 2.2 will be now shown in the main Virtual Devices panel. Highlight it, and click on Start to launch the new operating system in emulation mode.

4. It might take a few minutes to start the virtual device, but it’s worth the wait. You’ll get to try out the new helper, which explains how to get around the OS; take a peek at the new Car Mode; integrate your own email using the new Exchange settings, and even try and access Flash content in the web browser.

Not all of the new features of Android 2.2 can be tested, of course. You won’t get an idea of the speed of the new browser, for instance; and the Market isn’t accessible through the virtual device. However, it’s worth checking out while we wait to see the OS actually running on a device.

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James Thornton

James Thornton

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