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BlueStacks and AMD bring Android apps to Windows

AMD and Bluestacks have announced a partnership to bring Android apps to Windows 7 and 8 PCs and tablets.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor
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Want to run Android apps on Windows PCs or tablets? AMD & Bluestacks makes it possible.

What do you get when you add applications from the most popular mobile operating system, Android, to the most popular desktop system, Windows? Well, many of you will soon have a chance to find out since BlueStacks, creator of a Windows app that enables you to run Android apps on Windows, has joined forces with AMD to bring their cross-platform application to AMD-powered tablets and PCs. 

AMD is also working with its partners to pre-load the the BlueStacks Android App Player on AMD-powered Windows 7 and 8 laptops, desktops, and tablets. If you don't want to wait for a new PC you can download the master Android on Windows app, AMD AppZone Player. Or, you can simply download an Android app  from the AMD AppZone and it  will automatically install the player in addition to the app.

Once installed, you can then download and run such popular Android programs as Battlefield 3, Adobe Premiere Elements, and Pulse from the AMD AppZone. The companies claim that this is the largest collection of Android apps for PCs. They also maintain that the AMD AppZone Player brings hundreds of thousands of Android apps to the next generation of Windows 8 based slates, laptops, tablets and AiO desktop PC, but at this time there are only a few dozen apps. in the store.

I presume this is because these Android applications have been optimized and vetted to work work well with Windows and AMD hardware. You can install other Android applications besides the ones in AMD AppZone. If you already have Android apps on your smartphone or tablet, you can also bring  them over to your Windows PC by using BlueStacks Cloud Connect. To do this, you'll need to click the AppZone Player's settings button and then Cloud Connect and follow the on-screen instructions.

The BlueStacks Android Player is also available for any Windows XP, 7 or 8 PC directly from BlueStacks. AMD claims though that their version of the program thanks to "the collaboration with BlueStacks with optimizations for AMD GPU and APU [accelerated processing unit] technology enables a superior experience on AMD-powered PCs."

In a statement, Manju Hegde, AMD's corporate VP of Heterogeneous Applications and Developer Solutions said, "AMD and BlueStacks are making the emerging Android market part of the broader PC ecosystem with the introduction of AppZone. With the new Windows 8 operating system just around the corner, we’re excited to enable exciting new solutions for our PC customers and end users to experience."

Looking ahead, Rosen Sharma, BlueStacks' CEO added, "App stores and apps represent a multi-billion dollar opportunity. BlueStacks powered business models are ready to disrupt the PC industry by leveraging the unprecedented growth in the mobile eco-system. By partnering with AMD, we are able to bring 500,000 apps to Windows 8 and the broader installed base of PCs. That’s significantly more apps than any existing PC app store including Intel AppUp or the Windows 8 App Store."

Creative Strategies president and analyst Tim Bajarin added in the statement, "This is the right move and a winning proposition for BlueStacks, AMD and for the entire PC ecosystem. Everyone is eagerly anticipating Windows 8, but consumers want a broad selection of familiar apps now. AMD and BlueStacks have addressed that in a big way."

While the idea of running Android apps On Windows PCs is interesting, Bajarin makes a more interesting strategic point. If Windows 8 tablet users can indeed just run Android apps what reason will there be for mobile developers have to spend time porting their applications to Windows 8 when they can kill two mobile OS birds with one programming stone?

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