AMD AppZone Brings Android Mobile Apps to Windows 8 PCs

AMD (NYSE: AMD) has opened an online showcase, AppZone, for applications and games powered by its accelerated processing units (APUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs).

That’s nice but it’s not the cool part — a collaboration with BlueStacks, an AMD-backed software developer whose technology enables Android apps to run on notebooks, desktops, PCs and tablets — will bring Android-based apps to AMD-powered PCs running the Windows 8 operating system through the AppZone Player, now expanded from supporting Intel-based PCs to the AMD platform.

That’s going to give an immediate kick to Windows 8-based mobile apps, about which many have complained the numbers are far too few. Now, however, there are some half-million Android apps headed to PCs. And, users can sync their AppZone apps with Android-based devices through BlueStacks’ Cloud Connect, a cloud-based service that enables Windows-based PCs and Android mobile device to become extensions of one another.

It all adds up to more opportunities for application developers. Indeed, AMD and BlueStacks said they are working with OEMs to preload the AppZone Player on upcoming AMD-powered devices.

“With BlueStacks technology, app developers can rest-assured their Android apps will run directly on Windows without any code change,” said Rosen Sharma, BlueStacks chief executive.

The AppZone Player and apps such as Adobe Photoshop and CyberLink PowerDirector 11, in addition to some popular games, are available for download or through the Vision Engine Control Center.

“BlueStacks’ cross-platform innovation bridges the Android and x86 application ecosystems, providing new opportunities for developers and better experiences for users,” said Manju Hegde, AMD corporate vice president, Heterogeneous Applications and Developer Solutions.

Last June, BlueStacks stirred up Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) a bit with the release of its app player to enable Android-based apps to run on the Mac platform, following its successful March rollout of the Windows version of the player, which produced 1 million downloads in nine days, as reported here.