BlueStacks Allows You to Run Android Apps on a Mac

MacRumors · Jun 28, 2012, 01:58 AM

BlueStacks announced a public alpha version of their Android App Player for the Mac today at Google I/O.

The company had originally released a beta version of their App Player for Windows back in March. The software allows users to run Android apps directly on their Windows PCs, and the newest version begins to extend that functionality to the Mac.

While the Windows version allows you to run any Android app without modification, the early Mac version seems to be limited to 15 initial apps that comes bundled with the download. The bundled apps include Air Control Lite, Alchemy, Basketball Shot, Drag Racing, Elastic World, Facebook, Glow Hockey, Guns'n'Glory, Paper Toss, Pulse, Robo Defense, Seesmic, Twitter, Whatsapp, and Zebra Paint.

Their support page claims that "in the very near future", they plan on opening the Mac version up to over 400,000 Android apps:

Quote:

The BlueStacks App Player for Mac OSX (alpha) supports both Lion and Snow Leopard. You can test drive a fixed set of curated apps for the first release (alpha-1). In the very near future, BlueStacks will let you select from over 400,000 Android apps to play on your Mac.

The alpha version is available as a free download from the BlueStacks website.

Article Link: BlueStacks Allows You to Run Android Apps on a Mac

devinher · Jun 28, 2012, 02:01 AM

I don't really get this. Why would you want to run Android apps on a Mac? Doesn't Mac already have a much better selection of quality apps than Android?

FlameofAnor · Jun 28, 2012, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devinher

I don't really get this. Why would you want to run Android apps on a Mac? Doesn't Mac already have a much better selection of quality apps than Android?

I'll admit, that I too am perplexed by this. What "amazing" Android apps don't already have an iOS counterpart?

Apple Poptart · Jun 28, 2012, 02:06 AM

mmm k?

Why do I need to run Android apps on my Mac?

I feel like I'm missing something here.

gorskiegangsta · Jun 28, 2012, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlameofAnor

I'll admit, that I too am perplexed by this. What "amazing" Android apps don't already have an iOS counterpart?

Not the point. The point is that you'll be able to run mobile apps on your desktop/laptop OS - something you cannot do with iOS apps. Whether it's at all productive or useful is a whole another argument.

Exotic-Car Man · Jun 28, 2012, 02:10 AM

Perhaps it could be used by developers. I know this isn't an Android simulator, but I could see it (maybe) coming in handy for devs. It seems like they would just use the Android simulator, though.

Ramsos · Jun 28, 2012, 02:11 AM

Hooray...........no thank you.

Siggen · Jun 28, 2012, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devinher

I don't really get this. Why would you want to run Android apps on a Mac? Doesn't Mac already have a much better selection of quality apps than Android?

Cross platform gaming, and access to Android only apps for your Mac. There are many apps for android I just wish I had on my Mac, and I have an Android phone, an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac and a PC.

TBH I almost only use my Mac/iPad/Android Phone, and next to never use my iPhone and my PC.

Minimoose 360 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:12 AM

Well I think it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the emulation works, but it could help developers maybe?

chrismarle · Jun 28, 2012, 02:13 AM

Great, enlarged phone apps. Just what I needed on my Mac.

a0me · Jun 28, 2012, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlameofAnor

I'll admit, that I too am perplexed by this. What "amazing" Android apps don't already have an iOS counterpart?

Console emulators? Google apps? Flash Player? Task Manager?

faroZ06 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:16 AM

Bringing apps that require a touch screen to a PC with a keyboard and mouse. Genius.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by a0me

Console emulators? Google apps? Flash Player? Task Manager?

There are Google apps on the iPhone. As for the emulators.... jailbreak

roadbloc · Jun 28, 2012, 02:16 AM

This is sorta useless for the consumer, for the dev, I have no idea. It's great they've got it working though.

faroZ06 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:19 AM

I actually got Android for Intel processors running in VirtualBox. I think it was an outdated, illegit, Chinese edition though.

----------

It seems like it could only remotely be useful for games, and even the games already have PC versions anyway.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadbloc

This is sorta useless for the consumer, for the dev, I have no idea. It's great they've got it working though.

This reminds me of iOS Simulator, which I tried fruitlessly for hours to get Cube Runner onto.

gorskiegangsta · Jun 28, 2012, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjac0m

Great, enlarged phone apps. Just what I needed on my Mac.

No one says you "need" it, or that you have to download it. Some people might find it useful. Personally, I find it cool, in a nerdy sort of way

tomtom2234 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:22 AM

... What use is this? I have an iphone and an ipad...

JoEw · Jun 28, 2012, 02:26 AM

now I can run apps designed for touch input with my keyboard and mouse on my mac, just what I have been waiting for!

Durendal · Jun 28, 2012, 02:31 AM

Isn't this already possible with Eclipse and the Android dev tools? They have an emulator that lets you run/debug software you're building in Eclipse. I can't imagine that it wouldn't let you install your own.

a0me · Jun 28, 2012, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faroZ06

Bringing apps that require a touch screen to a PC with a keyboard and mouse. Genius.

----------

There are Google apps on the iPhone. As for the emulators.... jailbreak

Google apps for Android have many features that the iOS version don't have... which is perhaps to be expected.
As for jailbreaking, in my opinion the security/privacy concerns outweighs the added functionality.

MacGurl111 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devinher

I don't really get this. Why would you want to run Android apps on a Mac? Doesn't Mac already have a much better selection of quality apps than Android?

I'm no techy person but this was my first thought after reading the title.

There's more mac Apps than android and they're usually the first to come out then it becomes available for android. Is this not the case?

iMikeT · Jun 28, 2012, 02:36 AM

And what would be the purpose of running an app to run apps made for another platform on a platform where I can all ready get superior versions of the same apps?

faroZ06 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a0me

Google apps for Android have many features that the iOS version don't have... which is perhaps to be expected.
As for jailbreaking, in my opinion the security/privacy concerns outweighs the added functionality.

Jailbreaking does not open any security or privacy holes, but the thing that just keeps me worried is how it installs stuff like MySQL when you jailbreak. Would that slow it down? I've jailbroken my iPhone and only installed a couple of emulators and Terminal, and it seems to be running just as well as before, but I'm still wondering.

The only Google app I've been annoyed with has been their Maps app and its lack of voice navigation. Anyway, I'm not sure why I'm talking about this. All Google services are available fully on the PC anyway.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by iMikeT

And what would be the purpose of running an app to run apps made for another platform on a platform where I can all ready get superior versions of the same apps?

I don't know, but I bet $20 that at least 1000 people will get this so they can use Flash on their Mac

When the iPhone 4 first came out, 60% of the people surveyed thought it had 4G LTE.

urbanlung · Jun 28, 2012, 02:51 AM

This is all well and good but when am I join to be able to run my Nokia N95 apps on my Mac, want to be able to boot into Symbian.

batchtaster · Jun 28, 2012, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siggen

Cross platform gaming, and access to Android only apps for your Mac. There are many apps for android I just wish I had on my Mac, and I have an Android phone, an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac and a PC.

Good luck playing those games without an accelerometer, digital compass, GPS and so forth.

malias4 · Jun 28, 2012, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoEw

now I can run apps designed for touch input with my keyboard and mouse on my mac, just what I have been waiting for!

hehe exactly

Jun 28, 2012, 02:10 AM	#6
Exotic-Car Man macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA	Dev use? Perhaps it could be used by developers. I know this isn't an Android simulator, but I could see it (maybe) coming in handy for devs. It seems like they would just use the Android simulator, though. __________________ This area reserved for showing off devices
	7

Jun 28, 2012, 02:11 AM	#7
Ramsos macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oakland, California	Hooray...........no thank you. __________________ Switcher since 2002 -10- Macs so far. Current i7 Quad MBP 15" & i5 Quad Thunderbolt iMac 27 + 27 inch TB Display.
	7

Jun 28, 2012, 02:12 AM	#9
Minimoose 360 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NY	Well I think it's pretty cool. I'm not sure how the emulation works, but it could help developers maybe? __________________ iPhone 5 64GB 'HAL 9000' - 17"MacBook Pro 2.93GHz, 320GB 7200rpm, 4GB RAM 'Skynet' - Phenom II BE X6 @4.0GHz, RadeonHD 6950 XXX 2GB (2)CrossFireX @ 925MHz, 8GB RAM @ 1600MHz
	2

Jun 28, 2012, 02:16 AM	#13
roadbloc macrumors 603 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: UK	This is sorta useless for the consumer, for the dev, I have no idea. It's great they've got it working though. __________________ Roadbloc
	-5

Jun 28, 2012, 02:22 AM	#16
tomtom2234 macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New Orleans	... What use is this? I have an iphone and an ipad...
	-5

Jun 28, 2012, 02:01 AM	#2
devinher macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2010	I don't really get this. Why would you want to run Android apps on a Mac? Doesn't Mac already have a much better selection of quality apps than Android?
	36

Jun 28, 2012, 02:06 AM	#4
Apple Poptart macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2011	mmm k? Why do I need to run Android apps on my Mac? I feel like I'm missing something here.
	7

Jun 28, 2012, 02:13 AM	#10
chrismarle macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada	Great, enlarged phone apps. Just what I needed on my Mac.
	13

Jun 28, 2012, 02:26 AM	#17
JoEw macrumors 6502 Join Date: Nov 2009	now I can run apps designed for touch input with my keyboard and mouse on my mac, just what I have been waiting for! __________________ 27" iMac, 2.66 GHz Intel Quad-Core i5, 12GB RAM, 1TB HD & SSD 256GB, iPhone 5 32GB Black, iPad 4th Generation 16GB Black, TV 3rd Generation iPod Nano 7th Yellow
	3

Jun 28, 2012, 02:31 AM	#18
Durendal macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2003	Isn't this already possible with Eclipse and the Android dev tools? They have an emulator that lets you run/debug software you're building in Eclipse. I can't imagine that it wouldn't let you install your own.
	1

Jun 28, 2012, 02:36 AM	#21
iMikeT macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: California	And what would be the purpose of running an app to run apps made for another platform on a platform where I can all ready get superior versions of the same apps?
	5

Jun 28, 2012, 02:51 AM	#23
urbanlung macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: location, location!	This is all well and good but when am I join to be able to run my Nokia N95 apps on my Mac, want to be able to boot into Symbian. __________________ Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law
	1

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