AMD and BlueStacks Join Forces to Bring Android Apps to x86-based Tablets and PCs

[btarunr]

AMD today announced an investment in BlueStacks, a venture-backed firm developing innovative software. BlueStacks has introduced a solution to enable Android applications to run fast and full-screen on Windows-based devices.

AMD and BlueStacks are collaborating to optimize the BlueStacks App Player for Windows software for use with tablet and notebook PCs powered by AMD APUs with AMD VISION technology. With this combination of BlueStacks software and AMD technology, consumers will be able to access their favorite Android apps on virtually any AMD-powered Windows-based device, including more than 200,000 apps currently available in the Android Market.

"Bluestacks is a visionary software company that is, seamlessly, making the emerging Android mobile apps market part of the broader computing ecosystem and enhancing such experiences on our award-winning APU platforms," said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. "AMD is committed to support such game changing innovators through investment and other activity as we work together to usher in new experiences that allow consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of the brilliant graphics and computing performance enabled by AMD."

"AMD's investment in BlueStacks will help us to create an environment where your favorite apps can be accessed regardless of platform technology, providing greater entertainment and productivity value," said Rosen Sharma, president and chief executive officer of BlueStacks. "Working with AMD enables us to do this faster by expanding our network of OEMs and retailers to reach a broad audience of consumers and businesses that want to get more out of Android."

The AMD Fusion Fund program makes strategic investments in companies that are developing unique, digital consumer and professional experiences that harness the horsepower of AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products. AMD Fusion APUs deliver powerful computing capabilities plus discrete-class graphics with dedicated HD video processing on a single chip. AMD Fusion APUs are powered by AMD VISION Engine Software, with regular driver updates designed to improve system performance and stability.

BlueStacks was founded by Rosen Sharma, a successful entrepreneur who has founded several companies that have since been acquired by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Citrix and McAfee. BlueStacks' software solution was publicly showcased in AMD's Fusion Zone at the 2011 COMPUTEX Taipei conference.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[v12dock]

You can download the beta from: http://www.bluestacks.com/download.html

 

[Sasqui]

I hadn't heard of this before... in a nutshell, an Android emulator, or a full Android OS running on an x86 platform?

There are so many apps that rely on specific hardware functions that this will only be a good story if the hardware is built around the existing functions (some examples are accelerometers, GPS, touchscreens)

 

[pantherx12]

Downloading and testing this now, I hope games like death worm work XD

 

[Steevo]

AMD is focusing on this now?

Wow, they are really lost in the woods. Businesses don't want their people playing more android market games and reading books on their laptops, they want them to work. I just uninstalled all the crap off a Toshiba laptop with a APU for our techs.


Way to go, now you are just pissing the people who buy your shit off more.

 

[pantherx12]

AMD is focusing on this now?

Wow, they are really lost in the woods. Businesses don't want their people playing more android market games and reading books on their laptops, they want them to work. I just uninstalled all the crap off a Toshiba laptop with a APU for our techs.


Way to go, now you are just pissing the people who buy your shit off more.

The way I see it they're unifying two different operating systems, that's pretty cool.

A lot of people have android phones and have a lot of data that they can only view on their device it's self, now they potentially have a way of seeing it on the pc as well.


Also I didn't read anywhere about this stuff being pre-installed, why would it piss any one off?



Problem at the moment is have to log in with a facebook account to download extra stuff through the program directly. ( Luckily I have an account just for this )




Edit: Pulse news looks great full screen

 

[v12dock]

Seamless virtualization sounds right up the server alley

 

[Recus]

Epic fail. Just buy Android device.

 

[pantherx12]

Epic fail. Just buy Android device.

Again, missing the point, it's supposed to supplement Android devices not replace them

 

[HalfAHertz]

Tablet like devices are about to sweep the portable market just like the netbooks did a couple off years ago. AMD are just trying to prevent another toxic Wintel avalanche i.e. windows machines running on $ntel HW because that is in nobody's best interest!

I think this is great news and hope to see similar actions from other companies in the field. Diversity is good so stop complaining and try to encourage it whenever possible

 

[3volvedcombat]

Remember when the topic arrose about ARM processor's competing with x86, and Intel ect ect....

This just further justifies the fact that ARM processor's and the android device(iphone exeption of OS) phone's with pretty fast arm proc's are being noticed.

Noticed enough to start making some market change's and maybe some future plan's lay ahead.

But ARM processor's and this whole Mobile, to Desktop x86 computer alliegnment get's stronger every week, and eventually..... The market's might start to combine, or 1 will take over the other.

Console took over PC with gaming and small computer task, because they were cheap, and the basis of million's for entertainment.

Now imagine platform's with cheap but fast and efficient ARM processor's(APU's) that are fast enough, even mobile, and interconnected to PC's and Bigger panels and monitor's for better experiences. I'm sure the basis of million's with there basic need's will be suited perfectly with the right ARM processor's(Or competition Equivalent) and engineer'ed platforms.

EDIT:
AMD in my opinion is making an excellent decision, there are huge amounts of tech snob's in these forums, but if you go ask around the regular neighborhood chances are your going to find a lot of people with android device's and apps, but there not going to be so knowledgeable when it come's to the technical's.
AMD set's them selves up to almost have a competing market with ARM's and draw more consumer's to buy AMD APU's and have fun with those, but there are a lot of changes ahead to get around to those points.

 

[HalfAHertz]

SoC =/= APU. A true APU woud be completely homogeneous - you shouldn't be able to tell where the CPU stops and the GPU takes over. The ARM market is too segregated for that kind of integration and unfortunately AMD is our only hope for a true APU right now. Let's just hope that they do better than the botch job that is BD.

 

[Neuromancer]

Mixed feelings.

On one hand, this just furhter re-enforces the stupidity of the common person.

I was asked one time "Does your PC have apps?"

Yes millions of them. From Microsoft office to games, in fact way more apps than your phone has!

I guess they do not realize apps is short for applications.

But whatever.

Another negative point, is now we will have a whole slew of PC applications that got ported over to android, and are now being emulated back

On a positive note this does promote homogeny among electronic devices.

 

[devguy]

Just windows? I think it'd be easier to go from Android Linux, to desktop Linux. And then I can finally have a working netflix app in Linux.

 

[3volvedcombat]

Mixed feelings.

On one hand, this just furhter re-enforces the stupidity of the common person.

I was asked one time "Does your PC have apps?"

Yes millions of them. From Microsoft office to games, in fact way more apps than your phone has!

I guess they do not realize apps is short for applications.

But whatever.

Another negative point, is now we will have a whole slew of PC applications that got ported over to android, and are now being emulated back

On a positive note this does promote homogeny among electronic devices.

Apps on andriod's are almost considered "additions" not full applications with complete set purposes and a more direct approach to getting the task done,

But also, Microsoft office and game's are called "programs" not applications, I believe because they are way huger then anything for mobile, and become permanent additions to ones laboratory of things to play with.

But your point gets across though

 

[WarraWarra]

AMD and android apps now ??

This is a bit late and seeing everyone is ticked off with Android, it's poor quality control, it's spyware inbuilt into ice cream. It is just by pure stupidity and manufacturers having nothing else to replace it with that Android is still growing.
Actually Android "user confidence" is about where the USA political confidence is 7% about.

The concept is great and as someone else pointed out hardware specific apps would not work and many apps is non generic so for 1 of the 4000 arm cpu's or qualcomm "msm" etc... cpu's optimized and then the combination of that cpu + it's specific gpu.

They effectively have closer to 30k - 50k apps that might works and usually this is mediocre apps or apps with poor coding so best of luck AMD you have your nightmare cut out for you.

Another thing AMD has to look out for is the Oracle JAVA/Google law suite and most of these apps based on that old code and potential lawsuits for AMD from this and other corruption we allow here is the USA.

Bluestack alone must already be infringing on close to 7000 patents, I wish them luck.

 

[Neuromancer]

Apps on andriod's are almost considered "additions" not full applications with complete set purposes and a more direct approach to getting the task done,

But also, Microsoft office and game's are called "programs" not applications, I believe because they are way huger then anything for mobile, and become permanent additions to ones laboratory of things to play with.

But your point gets across though

Ahh, so Android should really have an "Add store" lol.


I used the term programs in the 80s and most of the 90s, and you are right that office and games are programs but they are also of the subset Applications.

Not all programs are applications, but all applications are programs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software

 

[Fx]

I see it as a good move. I dont want AMD left behind in the dust just because they didnt notice markets changing

 

[3volvedcombat]

Ahh, so Android should really have an "Add store" lol.


I used the term programs in the 80s and most of the 90s, and you are right that office and games are programs but they are also of the subset Applications.

Not all programs are applications, but all applications are programs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software

Andriod confusing our term's up.

And I just realized androids are beyond buggier then hell, and that means it could be a worse step then a better one for AMD.

Some of the most ridiculous freezes, hangs, Sometimes my phone goes into brick mode, even after complete reset....

So its a shot in the dark

 

[xBruce88x]

honestly i think a lot of the issues with android has to do with the tinkering from the different carriers...

 

[adrianx]

android

wellcome to android world ... AMD, finally

 

[Recus]

Again, missing the point, it's supposed to supplement Android devices not replace them

How so?

 

[Derek12]

Meh, doesn't run ARM compiled apps gives the error INSTALL_FAILED_CPU_ABI_INCOMPATIBLE.

 

[damric]

Finally some games that will run without lag on Bulldozer?

 

[Scrizz]

so i can get dungeon defenders on PC for free!
muahahah
xD