Acer shows off Android on a netbook, sneaks Firefox into the proceedings

After confirmation of basement experimentations, and then a surprising announcement of product, Acer's now actually showing off an Android-powered netbook at Computex. Acer is careful to say that this isn't their actual Android netbook in the flesh, they're just the Aspire One D250 as a test platform. Naturally, startup and shutdown times are fairly rapid (eighteen seconds up, one second down), and for the most part Android seems unmodified other than its support for the D250's 10-inch display, though there is one major head scratcher -- in PC Watch's coverage of this computer they show off a full-ish version of Firefox apparently running on Android, menu bar included, which is a new one on us. Of course, Firefox runs on Linux, and Android is built on Linux, but there are still a few gaps in logic there that we'll be happy to explore when we get our own look at this thing.

[Matt @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:07PM]

Who click the read link for reasons other than hoping to see the remainder of the model?

[Matt @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:08PM]

Very disappointing might I add. Now we know why it was a partial.

[Iceman @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:12PM]

Sad to say I did.

[SNP @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:22PM]

I did too :)

[CtrlBurn @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:25PM]

Don't be sad, booth girl. That is why they call it Schpoople.

[OneLove @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:39PM]

I'd hit it. twice. But shes doesn't look very pleased.

[NXTwoThou @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:42PM]

My vote too. *drool*

[Woz @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:46PM]

you got me, I did too. I wasn't as disappointed as most of you.

[swib @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:00PM]

The Yellow Fever does make us nerds pretty predictable doesn't it?

[Tony C @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:20PM]

Ya know... If you're gonna cut off the hot spokesmodel's head in a photo, at least give us more to look at as a follow-up! Garrrrrr...

[Tony C @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:22PM]

She's definitely got the potential to be hot, but someone needs to teach the girl how to smile! =)

[iphonerulez @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:34PM]

They probably cut out the best part of the photo and now they expect to hold my attention with some funky Android netbook. I never overlook LG and Samsung photos because they know how to sell a product.

[chanmanplanet @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:52PM]

would it kill ya to leave the model's head in the pic ?! comon !

[cbw87 @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:59PM]

Does anyone else get sick of pervy weirdos like the guys above fawning over any trace of a female they set their eyes on?

Step outside guys.

[ED @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:46PM]

She's an android? With no head?

[Nikesh @ Jun 3rd 2009 8:16PM]

It looks like someone tried to give the model a Dirty Sanchez, but missed and ended up wiping it below her right eye. What is that gunk?

[William Martin @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:12PM]

It should say 'they're just using the Aspire ....'

[The Walrus @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:12PM]

Why on Earth was it Androids job to bring down Apple? Can't we have multiple choices for a phone OS, what is wrong with that?

[B3astofthe3ast @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:14PM]

Firefox....on my G1? Please?

[Aaronage @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:15PM]

Firefox on Android? EPIC WIN!

[alexster404 @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:19PM]

damn TheAllmightyDollarama chill out...

[alexster404 @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:51PM]

damn TheAllmightyDollarama chill out...

[superhobo @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:21PM]

It's just Linux!

*angry face*

[Mark @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:22PM]

Yes! It's not like it spurred Apple to try to match the cupcake release by almost copying point for point all the features from it. Please go shoot yourself in the head. kthxbai

[Prince Ali @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:22PM]

probably the linux binary of firefox running on android. Or its possible acer created there own android build of firefox, since firefox is written in java it should be possible.

[Mark @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:26PM]

but HOW is another question. Yes, you can compile the linux version of Firefox for android and put it on the device, but how are they running it? Normal binaries don't show up in the launcher and there's no windowing system so this would need actual java tie ins to work with the java VM in android.

[Mark @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:28PM]

Oh and firefox is definitely NOT written in java.

[Sean U @ Jun 3rd 2009 4:12PM]

since when was firefox written in java? It's written in C++.

[theluketaylor @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:36PM]

firefox is not written in java and android doesn't run java

mozilla and all its children like firefox are written in C++ though the interface is a combination of mozilla's own XUL (a markup language for interfaces) and javascript. Note that javascript and java share nothing but a name

android applications are programmed in the java language but android itself doesn't include a java vitural machine and doesn't actually run java. The java source is compiled into dalvik bytecode which cannot be executed in a jvm

to run on firefox on andriod acer can't just download the linux binary from mozilla. either acer has shipped glibc, gtk, cairo and a few other libraries alongside the standard android libs making it into a much more traditional linux distro or they have built a static version of firefox which runs without any extra pieces. Either way isn't especially complicated thanks to the open source nature of all the bits that go into the linux kernel, android userland and firefox itself.

[ttlj @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:49PM]

Maybe it's a tweaked version of fennec, which I think has been / is being ported to android

[ttlj @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:53PM]

Now that I've actually looked at the article and other pictures, they seem pretty adamant that a full version of firefox is running on it. From the icon set used, it looks like they've used version 2 for some strange reason.

[Prince Ali @ Jun 4th 2009 9:43AM]

my mistake, I thought it was written in java. I thought android had its own jvm, but theluketaylor seems to know his stuff so I'll trust him on the explanation.

In any case, I'd love to have firefox on my G1!

[va jj @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:28PM]

i clicked to link hoping to see more of
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those sexy silk.

[arcticpenguins @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:28PM]

Alright, this makes 2 HORRIBLE posts for you today.
Get off your white apple high horse.
Don't become another stupid troll

[htd @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:33PM]

what's the purpose of android on a laptop? isnt it better to run full OS on laptop with android emulator if you really have to have android?

[Mark @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:35PM]

On a normal laptop: yes. On a netbook... who knows, depends on their implementation.

[htd @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:44PM]

it might make more sense to me to put android on MID, but I'd prefer real OS even on netbooks.

[Atom117 @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:39PM]

ANother troll!! TheAllmightyDollarama, take an iPhone and shove it sideways, with the headphones and charger attached to it.

[Junemas @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:45PM]

Android on an Atom CPU, Why? Throw Windows 7 on here and leave mobile Operating systems for Tegra and Arm Chipsets.

[Mapnapkin @ Jun 3rd 2009 10:04PM]

If you click the photo you can see the girl..
geez people. :)