Native x86 Android runtime will enable Android apps on Windows

A startup called BlueStacks has developed an Android runtime environment for
the Windows operating system. It will enable users to run Android
applications alongside conventional Windows software on Microsoft's
operating system. The technology impressed some major investors who have
supplied $7.6 million in Series A funding so that BlueStacks can turn its
software into a business.

As most Android application developers know, running Android software on a
Windows PC has historically involved emulation—which impairs performance and
adds considerably to resource overhead. BlueStacks has overcome the
performance barrier by building a native x86 Android runtime that doesn't
have to rely on emulation. The company says that Android applications
running on its stack will be highly responsive on Windows and won't suffer
from the kind of lag that developers are accustomed to experiencing when
using Google's emulator.

As some readers might remember, Canonical briefly explored some similar
concepts in 2009 but was never able to offer production-quality support for
Android software on Ubuntu. The Android userspace stack is somewhat insular
and not particularly conducive to application portability. BlueStacks
managed to overcome the obstacles with its own solution.

The BlueStacks runtime got its first public demonstration this week at the
Citrix Synergy conference. BlueStacks has made it possible for companies to
deliver Android applications through the Citrix Receiver. The partnership
with Citrix represents one of many ways in which the BlueStacks runtime can
be put to practical use.

To learn more about the underlying technology and the company's business
aspirations, I spoke over the phone with BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma. He
told me that the BlueStacks developers have worked to create a really
seamless experience for running Android applications on Windows. It offers
tight integration with the underlying platform—including mechanisms that
bridge the file systems, networking configuration, and notifications.

The BlueStacks runtime makes it possible for Android programs to run in
individual windows and be launched from shortcuts like any other standalone
Windows application. It also optionally offers the ability to run a complete
Android user experience on Windows, including the launcher and other
elements. Third-party applications that are built against the standard
Android APIs don't have to be recompiled in order to work with the
BlueStacks runtime. Users can even install conventional Android software
from Amazon's Android Appstore and run it on Windows.

Sharma says that BlueStacks is establishing relationships with hardware
manufacturers that are interested in shipping the x86 Android runtime on
consumer devices. He envisions mobile products that can offer the best of
both Android and Windows. One example would be a convertible netbook tablet
that normally runs Windows but switches to an Android interface for greater
touch-friendliness when the screen is flipped.

Such a product would offer the full power and multitasking capabilities of
Windows but also benefit from having access to Android's broad touch-enabled
software ecosystem. During my discussion with Sharma, he pointed out the
dominance of the iPad and the difficulty that hardware manufacturers are
facing as they try to compete. He said that BlueStacks could give them a way
to add value to their products and make them more competitive.

The company will announce its first hardware partners and OEM customers
within the next few weeks and could potentially have some demos to show on
prototype hardware at the upcoming Computex event. BlueStacks also intends
to offer a downloadable version of its runtime for regular end users. An
alpha release of the downloadable runtime could arrive as early as June or
July.