BlueStacks for Windows 8 needs work

The beta version of the Android emulator for Windows 8 devices fills the app gap for the OS but more work needs to be done to improve its features

By: nestor e. arellano
Computing Canada (15 Feb 2013)

Users who find the lack of apps for Windows 8 can turn to BlueStack, a software that allows you to run Android applications on Windows computers.

The software’s latest beta version offers to fill key Android apps that the new Microsoft operating system lacks such as Flipboard, Pandora and Instagram. It provides Windows 8 tablet users with full-screen viewing and a set of controls that controls that appear of the right edge of the screen when the users swipes from that side.

PCWorld.com tested BlueStacks in two Atom-based Windows 8 tablets, an Atom-based living room PC and a Windows 7 desktop running on an Intel Core i5 processor and found that the emulator didn’t work as well as it should.

For example on the two Atom tablets, BlueStacks would load show the loading screen but fade to black soon after. The built-in navigation buttons could be used to switch between full screen and windowed modes but could not run any apps, according to the tester.

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BlueStacks worked better on the desktop PC. It enabled the installation of apps from application stores such as Google Play, Amazon’s Appstore, Get Jar and 1Mobile Market.

However, there was no way to browse the description of each app, they just installed immediately when the user clicks on them.

The test also revealed that a lot of Android apps are not optimized for larger screens.

Touchscreen Windows 8 devices like Surface and Pro tablets provide BlueStacks with a good platform. However the beta version of the software needs more work to improve functionality and user experience.

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