BlueStacks emulator testing
In this article I will talk about my experience with the emulator of the Android operating system BlueStacks , running under the Microsoft Windows operating system. This is a free beta version of the product, and the authors honestly warn that at this moment there may be serious flaws.
The program was tested on the following equipment: ASUS X58C series laptop, Intel Celeron 1.2GHz processor, 2Gb RAM, HDD 500Gb, video SiS, HD Definition audio, Microsoft Windows 7 Max operating system, Oracle Java JRE 7.0 package. As you can see, the computer is a bit “overloaded”, but it is on it that the “stress tests” should be carried out. On this equipment, the emulator worked very slowly, but steadily! This is a nod to the developers.
The program was installed quickly, in the installation process, "no questions asked" did not ask. The emulator is installed in the folder: “C: \ Program Files \ BlueStacks”, and this is without options! What folder is installed downloaded from the Internet Android application, I have not figured it out yet.
')
This emulator has the following "additional chips."
First, the program has its own online service, on which accounts are created after registering with the program. Using the online service, you can synchronize applications, accounts, contact records, etc. between different computers on which the BlueStacks emulator is installed, and “normal phones” based on the Android operating system. I tested this function only partially (synchronized applications between different computers), since I am only going to buy a phone with the Android operating system.
Secondly, applications for this operating system can be downloaded from online stores. The system has already installed applications for downloading software from GetJar and Amazon. Google Play Store is supported only in the "root version".
There was no regular browser and email client for Android in the emulator build. Why this is done is not clear. Perhaps because of patent restrictions.
The program allows you to conveniently customize the work with the keyboard, and control the languages ​​supported by the system. Among the languages ​​supported is Russian. In the initial settings, the text is entered from the on-screen keyboard, and the keyboard layout corresponds to the system default language. In the settings, you can select the languages ​​of the keyboard, set the necessary layouts for it, and connect a computer keyboard for typing.
The keyboard layout changes after moving the mouse (or finger on the touchpad) on the spacebar of the on-screen keyboard. The hot keys of the hardware keyboard of the computer do not work.
The emulator in the beta version is installed only for one computer user, and only under the administrator account. At the same time, it can also work under the account of the “regular user”, only you can imagine what kind of savvy you need and what kind of “dancing with a tambourine” to do to properly install this program ...
The system is installed only if you have access to the Internet, and after its installation requires registration on the server. There are two registration modes - with simultaneous registration of an account on a computer and a phone, or only on a computer. I chose the second option. When registering, the service requests the address of an existing e-mail, and issues a PIN-code for access to the account. It is necessary to remember it, because in this case, when you reinstall the service, you will not be able to log into your account, and you will be asked to register to another phone number and email address. And this is inconvenient. The PIN is long, you have to type it on the virtual keyboard.
The product places high demands on the video card and, like Linux, does not work with non-standard hardware. Because of this, after installing the emulator on my laptop with a SiS video card and an unknown chipset, about half of the programs from online stores were not installed, giving an error message with the video card driver.
Also, after installing the emulator in autoload, I had two copies of this application. I do not know if these are features of the emulator setup program or the result of my “tambourine dances”. After removing both copies of the shortcuts from the automatic launch, the program still started, and consumed less memory.
In general, this emulator is very picky about the amount of RAM, and after closing programs in it, it does not free the memory they use. So, after you finish working with it, you need to stop the emulation, and exit the program.
The program normally works only with constant access to the Internet. Otherwise, the results of work with Android applications are not saved.
Now about the evaluation of the program. The idea of ​​creating this emulator is very good, the program is really necessary, only the implementation of this program is very “raw”. The success of the entire project depends on whether developers can eliminate problems with the installation of the program and the support of various equipment. However, the author has not yet met any UNIX emulator for Microsoft Windows, which could reach the mark: “good”, including the “cult development” of CygWin.
Well, perhaps that's all.
The program was tested on the following equipment: ASUS X58C series laptop, Intel Celeron 1.2GHz processor, 2Gb RAM, HDD 500Gb, video SiS, HD Definition audio, Microsoft Windows 7 Max operating system, Oracle Java JRE 7.0 package. As you can see, the computer is a bit “overloaded”, but it is on it that the “stress tests” should be carried out. On this equipment, the emulator worked very slowly, but steadily! This is a nod to the developers.
The program was installed quickly, in the installation process, "no questions asked" did not ask. The emulator is installed in the folder: “C: \ Program Files \ BlueStacks”, and this is without options! What folder is installed downloaded from the Internet Android application, I have not figured it out yet.
')
This emulator has the following "additional chips."
First, the program has its own online service, on which accounts are created after registering with the program. Using the online service, you can synchronize applications, accounts, contact records, etc. between different computers on which the BlueStacks emulator is installed, and “normal phones” based on the Android operating system. I tested this function only partially (synchronized applications between different computers), since I am only going to buy a phone with the Android operating system.
Secondly, applications for this operating system can be downloaded from online stores. The system has already installed applications for downloading software from GetJar and Amazon. Google Play Store is supported only in the "root version".
There was no regular browser and email client for Android in the emulator build. Why this is done is not clear. Perhaps because of patent restrictions.
The program allows you to conveniently customize the work with the keyboard, and control the languages ​​supported by the system. Among the languages ​​supported is Russian. In the initial settings, the text is entered from the on-screen keyboard, and the keyboard layout corresponds to the system default language. In the settings, you can select the languages ​​of the keyboard, set the necessary layouts for it, and connect a computer keyboard for typing.
The keyboard layout changes after moving the mouse (or finger on the touchpad) on the spacebar of the on-screen keyboard. The hot keys of the hardware keyboard of the computer do not work.
The emulator in the beta version is installed only for one computer user, and only under the administrator account. At the same time, it can also work under the account of the “regular user”, only you can imagine what kind of savvy you need and what kind of “dancing with a tambourine” to do to properly install this program ...
The system is installed only if you have access to the Internet, and after its installation requires registration on the server. There are two registration modes - with simultaneous registration of an account on a computer and a phone, or only on a computer. I chose the second option. When registering, the service requests the address of an existing e-mail, and issues a PIN-code for access to the account. It is necessary to remember it, because in this case, when you reinstall the service, you will not be able to log into your account, and you will be asked to register to another phone number and email address. And this is inconvenient. The PIN is long, you have to type it on the virtual keyboard.
The product places high demands on the video card and, like Linux, does not work with non-standard hardware. Because of this, after installing the emulator on my laptop with a SiS video card and an unknown chipset, about half of the programs from online stores were not installed, giving an error message with the video card driver.
Also, after installing the emulator in autoload, I had two copies of this application. I do not know if these are features of the emulator setup program or the result of my “tambourine dances”. After removing both copies of the shortcuts from the automatic launch, the program still started, and consumed less memory.
In general, this emulator is very picky about the amount of RAM, and after closing programs in it, it does not free the memory they use. So, after you finish working with it, you need to stop the emulation, and exit the program.
The program normally works only with constant access to the Internet. Otherwise, the results of work with Android applications are not saved.
Now about the evaluation of the program. The idea of ​​creating this emulator is very good, the program is really necessary, only the implementation of this program is very “raw”. The success of the entire project depends on whether developers can eliminate problems with the installation of the program and the support of various equipment. However, the author has not yet met any UNIX emulator for Microsoft Windows, which could reach the mark: “good”, including the “cult development” of CygWin.
Well, perhaps that's all.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/146087/
All Articles