Category Archives: Android on PC Emulators

Android apps will run on Chrome OS, Windows Mac OS

Run Android Apps on Windows, MAC OS and LINUXIt seems that Google may unleash full Google play Store access on their Chrome line of products.

Google play Store will allow you to run more than a million Android apps on your Chromebook at first, expanding such functionality then into Windows, Mac OS and Linux based computers, available through their Chrome web navigator.

This comes not as a complete surprise: The working concept was already kind of there, already embedded and available on Chrome OS for a year or so, but -very- limited:

Some time ago Google started a project called “App Runtime for Chrome” (ARC). They closely worked with a few selected Android developers, allowing for a handful of selected apps to emerge on their Chrome Web Store, as some kind of “proof of concept”.

Some users at reddit are discussing this partially hidden, still “under construction” new feature, included in Google’s latest Chrome OS release for chromebooks.

When will Android apps run on Windows, MAC OS and Linux ?

Surely Google will unveil some details on GOOGLE I/O event this year. The only information emerging on the Internet at this time comes from some power users that got curious over this new development and started peeking and poking inside Chrome OS code.

They found some text strings and coding already in place that surely supports this new Google Play Store compatibility:

<message name="IDS_ARC_OPT_IN_DIALOG_DESCRIPTION" desc="Description of the opt-in dialog for Android apps.">
Choose from over a million apps and games on Google Play to install and use on your <ph name="DEVICE_TYPE">$1<ex>Chromebook</ex></ph>.
</message>

Maybe Google will also include Chrome extensions and Themes into their Google Play Store offerings, effectively replacing the -by now oldish and somewhat neglected- Chrome Web Store.

Andy, a modern Android Emulator

If you want to run Android on your PC, including your favorite Android games and apps on either your Mac or your Windows based PC, then you should try Andy, the Android emulator.

Andy Android EmulatorAccording to their website, Andy is robust, fully featured Android emulation software that will allow you to install and run your usual Android Apps on your PC, even the difficult ones, like Whatsapp.

Andy emulator includes full support for ARM processors (the vast majority of Android devices out there are fueled by ARM based processors), hence all your favorite apps will run perfectly well. Just in case, Andy is also compatible with apps compiled for INTEL x86 processors.

Andy Android Emulator features

Andy Android emulator includes several amazing features that you’ll love:

You can use your Android device as a wireless gamepad or joystick. Once coupled, It will send your input including the gyroscope and accelerator data which means that you will be able to play your favorite games on your computer at blazing speed, while controlling them with your native Android device movement and multitouch input.

There is a seamless integration between your Android device and your desktop computer, while you can enjoy the increased storage space on the latter. Furthermore, this integration extends even into your OS desktop: You can launch your favorite Android apps right from there.

Andy Android Emulator Requirements

You need at least a dual core processor, with an enabled hardware virtualization engine (called AMD-vt or Intel VT-x, depending on your processor brand).  You will also need at least 3Gb of ram and 20Gb of hard disk space. On the graphics side you’ll need to have an OpenGL ES  2.0 compliant graphic card.

Last -but not least- what Andy Android Emulator won’t require, is your money, as it is free.

AndroVM

AndroVM is a ready-to-go Android on PC

AndroVM is a free prepackaged virtual machine ready to run Android on PC by using a provided Virtual Machine player. IF you already like to play with virtual machines, you may also try to import AndroVM -which is packaged in the Open Virtualization Format– into your virtualization software of choice. We tried it on our VMWARE FUSION, and after issuing a warning about a non 100% compliant OVF (Open Virtualization Format) it ended up running fine. The AndroVM package we tested included Google Apps and Google Play Market.

AndroVM Functionality

AndroVM Android on PCThe guys at AndroVM seems to be actively churning out new versions while adding features. At the time of this writing, we can definitely attest on AndroVM maturity and functionality.  You will find  Android 4.1.1 version inside current virtual machine package (dated 2013022)  including seamless mouse integration, software and hardware OpenGL, and extra niceties provided that you use their  virtual machine player, dubbed AndroVMplayer.

This freely downloadable virtual machine player is available for Windows,Linux  and MAC OS. It is a finely tuned wrapper, which will let you configure resolution and DPI, as check up on hardware OpenGL availability, before starting to run the Android on PC virtual macine.

AndroVM packaged ready to run Android machines currently come in several flavors, depending on the hardware you want to emulate, as in phone, tablet, or hybrid configuration, either with or without Google Apps. If you are looking into running Android on your PC, side to side with your actual OS, AndroVM, including the preinstalled Android OS and it’s virtual machine player will do the trick.

Bluestacks partnerships with Lenovo

Bluestacks preinstalled in Lenovo “Idea” consumer line

Bluestacks and LenovoThe guys at Bluestacks firmly believes we need to run Android games and apps on PC. In their search for strategic partnerships, they first shaked hands with AMD, as we commented on a post last year. Now in a nice move Bluestacks managed to get shipped inside Lenovo’s “Idea” consumer line, including their new Ideapad notebooks and netbooks. This move brings  in excess of 750.000 apps and games into those nice Lenovo x86 PCs. Certainly a nice score for Bluestacks and their Android on PC emulator which certainly is welcome by the final user.

Needless to say, Android itself also gets a nice side-benefit on each and every step into new niches, specially given the actual mobile OS war, which now includes Windows RT, a surprisingly stable, fast, and professional tablet OS. -Side note: We actually were quite impressed with our Surface RT tablet (which we actually already sold away)-. Hence, any niche trenching gained in Android is a good move, and needless to say, the Android on PC niche is the somewhat missing mother lode niche.

Bluestacks and Surface PRO tablet ?

While writing the earlier paragraph I got to think: what about installing and running Bluestacks on the (at this time, upcoming) Microsoft’s Surface PRO tablet ? Wouldn’t that be a bold one to achieve ?

Not surprisingly we found out that the guys at Bluestacks are already working along those lines. It seems they’ve been tinkering with their product into fitting specs not only for the Surface PRO (which is after all an x86 windows platform) but also for the Surface RT OS, which runs over ARM processor -just as Android does-.  Both platforms seems -at least on paper- an easy platform achievement for Bluestacks. Time will tell … right now at Bluestacks website you get to download only  the MAC or Windows version of their emulator.

 

 

AMD and BlueStacks Partnering for Android on PC

AMD starts an App Store for Android on PC

Android on PC AMD and bluestacks app storeAMD and Bluestacks are partnering to offer an App Store for Android on PC. At first this seems to be a curious move. As we understand it, Bluestacks has been for some time in the search for investors and profitable partnerings for their Android on PC emulation layer, which they even ported and refined not only for Windows PC but also for MAC OS, broadening their appeal scope in the market. Bluestacks already managed to get Qualcomm, Citrix and other investors to jump into their wagon, and now AMD also engross their company wallet as a major investor.

Now, Bluestacks announces this partnering with AMD, where both will go a step further, extending their relation into a practical solution, in which AMD establishes an App Store web portal offering what it seems to be  Android on PC apps and games, with the underlying emulation technology from Bluestacks.

Android on PC apps and games from AMD App Store

 Announced four days ago, this Android on PC apps and games download portal is already online, but at the time of this writing, most of the available apps and games are simply links into their developers or third party sources. Only a small percentage of these apps and games are actually available for download. When you download any of these, you are downloading a compressed package that integrates the app or game itself and the AMD’s version of the bluestacks emulation layer.

AMD claims to be very busy converting tons of other Apps with the help of Bluestacks. They aim to get into their portal only those apps and games that will perform well under the Android on PC scenario.

AMD’s Android on PC

AMD’s version of Bluestacks has been pimped up with OpenGL hardware acceleration when an AMD graphics processor is present. This Android on PC solution will also run on generic PCs, without AMD hardware, but probably won’t be as smooth or fast on the graphics side.

Android on MAC PC

Apps and Games from Android on MAC

Android on MAC

Thanks to Bluestacks now you can also run your favorite apps and games intended for Android on MAC PC. Bluestacks Android on PC emulator has just crossed into Apple domain, liberating their users from their quite closed apps and games ecosystem into the frenzy of Google Play Store!

Right now you are able to download and install an “early” alpha version of Bluestacks Android on PC emulator for your MACBOOK AIR, MACBOOK PRO, MAC PRO, etc. This Android on MAC emulator is free, just as it’s older brother, which microsoft based users are enjoying since months ago.

Android on MAC is a good thing

“This new channel for distribution of Apps and Games into Android on MAC is a good thing”  comments a mainstream Android developer, “as it allows us to reach into a new batch of users which are educated on spending more money, until today into  Apple’s App Store”. In short, Bluestacks Android on MAC emulator is certainly a valid and elegant way to run Android software on your MAC PC.