Running Android apps on Windows with BlueStacks

What have been Outdated Penang Uncle up to lately? I have been trying out Android apps on my laptop using BlueStacks.

Before BlueStacks, there is only Android SDK that has the emulator to try out Android apps on Windows. To do that you have to install Android SDK, install bla bla bla and then do bla bla bla and finally try to the Android apps on Windows.

Thanks to BlueStacks, now I can skip a lot of steps and just double-click to install the Android apps into BlueStacks. Sounds like installing software on Windows right? I will show you how in following post, do stay tune or subscribe to rss of this blog.

To download, go to BlueStacks website and then go to download page to download BlueStacks App Player.
http://bluestacks.com

For Windows 7, make sure you install BlueStacks using administrator permission so avoid any installation problem. If I remember correctly, BlueStacks runs only on Windows 7, too bad for older version of Windows. Update: BlueStacks now runs on Windows XP as well! [I was using version Alpha v2007 when I write this post, latest version is 0.6.2.0563_REL]

Most of users will find the BlueStacks icon (gadget to be exact) appear on desktop after installation success. Launching Android apps on BlueStack is actually through Windows Gadget of BlueStacks.
If you don't find the BlueStacks icon, minimize all windows (Start button + m) and then right-click on any place of desktop, select "Gadget". The Gadget windows will come up, you should able to see BlueStacks Gadget. Left click and hold on the gadget, then drag it to any place at desktop that you prefer.

BlueStacks' default installation already come with some Android apps, such as Bloomberg, Pulse, Kids Learn to Read FREE, and Talking Tom 2 FREE.



If you want to more apps from BlueStacks, you can go to BlueStacks website by click on the "Get More Apps" button.

It will open your default web browser and asking you to login with facebook account. That is the only login that BlueStacks provide. After login, there are total of 31 apps that available for you to install.

BlueStacks also allow Android phone owner to send apps from Android phone to BlueStacks on PC. I am not sure the motive of this feature, if you already have Android phone, why would you want to use the apps on PC? Example, if you send Angry Birds from your phone to PC via BlueStacks' Cloud Connect, the progress or level completed on Angry Birds cannot be sync between phone and PC. So there is not really a benefit right? Anyway, I will show you how to install apps through Android market, Amazon apps, and install apk directly. So stay tune ya.

Thing to note: Do not install apps that need sensor to play, because laptop don't have accelerometer sensor. Would not able to play the game anyway. However if your tablet have the sensor, you might able to make use of the sensor to play apps that need sensor to play. :)


Hope you will enjoy this post, subscribe to my RSS or mailing list or follow me on blogger or twitter. :)
source: I learned the tricks from XDA forum :)
pix source: BlueStack pix from BlueStacks