Android Operating System

The following is a brief description about Android Operating System. Android is an operating system for mobile devices based on the Linux kernel. Google as the developer of Android, using the Linux kernel as a base but they create their own user interfaces. The latest Android releases usually follow the latest developments of the Linux kernel.

Android was originally developed by a company called Android Inc belongs to Andy Rubin. But now Android is developed by Google, after Android Inc. was bought by Google in 2005. The Android operating system has a user interface designed by direct manipulation. Android is designed primarily for:

1. The mobile device that has a touch screen technology such as smartphones or tablet computers.
2. Device TV with a special user interface (TV Android).
3. Car (Android Auto).
4. Wristwatch (Android Wear).

To manipulate objects on the screen, the operating system is working based on inputs such as light touch, stroking, pinching and pinching the opposite direction, also a touch to simulate a virtual keyboard. Despite designed specifically for touch screen input, Android has also been used in game consoles, digital cameras, personal computers and other electronic devices commonplace.

Currently Android is a mobile operating system that is most widely used. In 2013, Android devices was the device with the highest sales worldwide. Android devices sold more than the combined sales of Windows devices, iOS devices, and Mac OS X devices. In July 2013, Google Play Store has more than 1 million Android applications published, and more than 50 billion apps have been downloaded.

The Android source code released by Google under an open source license, although most Android devices using a combination of open source with proprietary software. Android operating system was unveiled in 2007 in conjunction with the establishment of a consortium of hardware, software companies and telecommunications companies called the Open Handset Alliance. This consortium is built with the aim of advancing open standards for mobile devices.

The Android operating system is widely used by technology companies that need an operating system that is ready to use, inexpensive and can be adapted for mobile high-tech devices. Android that is an open project, has encouraged community of developers and big enough fans to use open-source code as the basis for community-based projects, which adds new capabilities for advanced users.

Supported Hardware by Android

The main hardware platform for Android is the ARM architecture. However, x86 and MIPS architectures are also supported. Besides being able to run directly on x86-based hardware, Android also runs on x86 architectures such as a PC or MAC computer by using an Android emulator. Either using the Android emulator part of the Android SDK, or by using BlueStacks or Andy. 

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