Android addicts can now run their favorite apps on computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system, with a new virtualization software. The BlueStacks App Player promises to play Android apps “fast and full-screen," with its alpha version coming with 10 preloaded apps and allowing up to 26 more apps to be installed. “BlueStacks employs a lightweight, optimized, soft hypervisor with deep enhancements to support ‘embedded virtualization.’ End consumers can enjoy the full Android environment through BlueStacks, or just install Android app icons directly on the Windows desktop," said a description of the software on its website. It added BlueStacks can support:
- Android on Windows (for x86)
- Android on Windows (for ARM), starting with Windows 8
- Android on Chrome OS (for x86)
- Windows on Android (for x86)
A review by tech site CNET said the app places an Android gadget in the upper right corner of the screen. Clicking on the gadget opens a menu where one can launch the pre-loaded Android apps. But it said that since the apps are designed for a touch screen device, running them on a desktop computer with keyboard and mouse was “less than ideal." “Using a laptop with a multi-touch pad was more user friendly. Overall, the integration with Windows via a simple desktop gadget proved to be a clean and seamless approach," it added. To send apps from a phone or tablet to a PC, one will need to download the BlueStacks Cloud Connect App on from Google’s Android Market and install it on the mobile device. Entering a unique pin number in the app then sets up the connection with the PC, allowing one to push over apps from the device. CNET said the company is working on a Mac version but concedes that it may be awhile before one is available. CNET cited an interview with company CEO and co-founder Rosen Sharma last May, where he said he got the idea for BlueStacks from his six-year-old daughter. “She went to a Netbook, and she wanted the same apps on it," he said.
— TJD, GMA News 
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