14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 will hit the market with only a limited number of applications specifically designed for it, something that might prove a real issue for those who are interested in purchasing ARM-powered devices running under the platform.
While Windows 8-based x86 computers will have access to legacy applications, which translates into having all Windows 7-compatible software running on them, Windows RT tablets will be confined to the options available for them in the Windows Store.
A few thousands apps have already been added to the storefront, with more of them expected to become available before the new platform launches, but that won’t size up against the ecosystem that other mobile platforms benefit from at the moment.
However, a recent partnership between AMD and BlueStacks proposes an alternative to the Windows Store, by bringing a pool of over half a million applications to Microsoft’s new operating system.
With the Bluestacks platform available on Windows 8, users will be able to grab Android applications for their computers, through the AMD AppZone player.
All Windows 8 devices packing AMD processors inside will have the AppZone player loaded on them, for fast access to said mobile software.
The Bluestacks platform can be installed on Intel devices as well, and is not limited to those powered by Windows 8. In fact, it has been available for Windows 7 for quite some time now.
The partnership between AMD and Bluestacks not only expands the reach of Android applications to more users, but also offers additional software options for the owners of Windows computers.
Of course, this does not resolve the issue that Windows RT users will face when in need of an application that hasn’t been ported to the platform yet.
Bluestacks might be able to bring its platform to ARM-based Windows PCs as well and that, combined with the release of more Windows 8-style applications, will deliver an increased number of possibilities for Windows RT users.