The whole world might be buzzing about Google’s upcoming Chrome OS, but while we wait for its release sometime in the second half of 2010, an enterprising group of hackers have ripped apart the search giant's other operating system and posted an x86 version that will run on desktop computers. Originally targeted at smartphones, Google’s Android OS can now be downloaded as a LiveCD, so you can try out the open-source platform without buying a G1 or HTC Magic.


It's only just hit version 0.2, so naturally there will be some bugs and only a few video and network card drivers are working right now. The version was reportedly ported form an Asus Eee 701 netbook running Android. As with every other LiveCD, there's no need to install the OS – you simply download the ISO file, burn it onto a CD or DVD, and then boot with the disc.

It'll also work with virtualization software, like VirtualBox or Microsoft Virtual PC, if you want to try the operating system without even rebooting your computer. You can grab the 85MB disc image at the project’s website and see a list of improvements planned for future revisions here.