I’ve seen software that lets you run Google Android in an emulator window on a Windows PC, but a company called BlueStacks is taking things to a much higher level. SlashGear reports that BlueStacks offers software that lets Android run on a Windows computer through virtualization, allowing you to run an Android app in one Window while Windows apps are running in other windows. You can quickly and easily flip between Android and Windows apps — and you can use your Windows drivers and utilities from the Android environment to print web pages, documents, or other items.

The system isn’t perfect. There’s no access to the Google Android Market, for instance, but BlueStacks does let users download apps from the Amazon Appstore, which is quickly becoming the biggest competitor to Google’s app marketplace.

Of course, many Android apps were designed for touch input and aren’t going to work all that well with a PC that relies on a keyboard and mouse. But if you have a Windows tablet or a desktop or laptop PC with a touchscreen display BlueStacks gives you access to thousands of touch-friendly apps without leaving Windows.

BlueStacks will be available for download later this year. The company is also working to get the software preloaded on PCs.

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since 2006. Brad has also worked with NPR, WHYY, PRI, and AOL.

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