You can now run Android apps on a Mac or PC with Google Chrome

[mouser]

Those of you who have read my posts on Google know that I view the company quite suspiciously.. They are masters of publicity and self-promotion and always find ways to get their hands into everything..  Often in roundabout ways like a spider that weaves a trap you don't realize you are in until it's too late.  Which is not to say that the stuff they create isn't often quite excellent and useful.

So here's a predictable, and yet still intriguing, new way of extending google tentacles, the ability to run Android apps on windows using the Chrome Web Browser.

Google’s convergence of Chrome and Android is taking a big step forward this week. After launching a limited App Runtime for Chrome (ARC) back in September, Google is expanding its beta project to allow Android apps to run on Windows, OS X, and Linux. It’s an early experiment designed primarily for developers, but anyone can now download an APK of an existing Android app and launch it on a Windows / Linux PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/3/8339197/android-apps-on-windows-mac-linux-chrome-os

[anandcoral]

From developer point : it is good news. Write once and run in both Android Phone and Windows machine.

Java existed much much before than Android happened.  I remember how our company tried to make Java applications so that we can sell to Win, Linux and also Mac users. Same logic write once and run in all. The problem, Java was very very slow on Windows. There were none Linux desktop users. We tried to 'educate' some clients on the benefit of free Linux OS, but failed miserably. The clients always had some Win version and wanted out program to run fast and efficiently on 'their' machine.

We abandoned Java. I know how much time I devoted to learn Linux OS and Java then. My machine was dual boot with Win and Linux and tried to keep Linux as my main so that I can develop our program. All this is past, and some how I regret wasting time on Linux. I learned that 'we have to follow our client to survive'.

Now that our clients are using Android phone, they are ready to pay for our applications on it. If Android apps run on Windows, then the same program may scale up the screen size and show more information.

As for Google being evil, our hands are tied. We have to follow our client, and they use MS and Android.

I never got chance to develop for Mac or IOS, though I can not say Apple is nor evil. Even Facebook is turning evil, but we developers can not ignore them.

Regards,

Anand

[Innuendo]

Even Facebook is turning evil, but we developers can not ignore them.

Turning evil? The very first building block of Facebook's foundation was built upon evil deeds from the very beginning. The only difference that the passage of time has had is that more people are finally starting to notice and/or care.

However, that aside, you made an excellent point. Developers have to go where the market is. Without a market you are on the unemployment line.

[mouser]

Whatever my thoughts on google, this is still a very interesting development..

I am quite skeptical about the widespread value of running android apps on the desktop, because android apps are designed for a small device with no keyboard and mouse -- resulting in a user interface very well suited for a small mobile touchscreen, but poorly suited to take advantage of desktop features.

However, there will surely be some use cases where being able to run a mobile app on the desktop will be a real win -- apps where performance and usability is not essential, but where simply being able to access the app will outweigh any deficiencies in the experience.

[wraith808]

Whatever my thoughts on google, this is still a very interesting development..

I am quite skeptical about the widespread value of running android apps on the desktop, because android apps are designed for a small device with no keyboard and mouse -- resulting in a user interface very well suited for a small mobile touchscreen, but poorly suited to take advantage of desktop features.

However, there will surely be some use cases where being able to run a mobile app on the desktop will be a real win -- apps where performance and usability is not essential, but where simply being able to access the app will outweigh any deficiencies in the experience.

It really depends on how they do it.  If they go the MVVM approach and have different views with the same functionality on the back end, I could see it working.  I've been making extensive use of the app interface that they have now... and it seems pretty well adapted to that approach. I just wish they wouldn't keep changing it needlessly, and without notice.

[dr_andus]

From developer point : it is good news. Write once and run in both Android Phone and Windows machine.

From a Chromebook user's point of view maybe not so good news. Developers might be even less likely to develop Chrome OS versions of their apps, prefering to port their Android apps instead. However, the ported Android apps I've tried so far were disappointing. For instance, I can't even maximise their app windows on my 14" screen (they only use about 2/3 of the screen), can't zoom in etc. Functionality is generally rather limited.

[Innuendo]

I forgot to mention in my original post that running Android apps on your PC is nothing new...and you don't even need to be running Chrome to do it.

BlueStacks and AndY have allowed one to do that for quite some time & they are free. There's even an article over on HowToGeek that mentions a couple other ways to do it as well.

[rxantos]

Interesting.

As for Google being evil, our hands are tied. We have to follow our client, and they use MS and Android.

I never got chance to develop for Mac or IOS, though I can not say Apple is nor evil. Even Facebook is turning evil, but we developers can not ignore them.

The way I can describe Apple experience is, Imagine FaceBook, Google and M$ evil parts condensed into perfection.

[mouser]

[zenlike]

This is very interesting for people like me that want to use apps like Garage Band. But, don't own a Mac and don't like using it on Iphone or Ipads and would prefer to use it on pc.

This can only be good from a consumer standpoint.