Good Android Emulator?

[Franziska]

Hi, I just installed Bluestacks Android Emulator on or new Nav PC.

Works nice, BUT, downloads stuff like games in the background.
Not good if you're on a metered connection.

As Remix OS is gone, can anyone recommend an alternative Android Emulator without subscription and without unwanted background downloads?

I know we could just use a tablet in parallel, but sometimes it's really convenient to do it on the PC.
For example, right now I prefer the weat routing of Sailgrib over the one in OpenCPN.

OpenCPN is a superb software though in itself! Love the new version too.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[john61ct]

Bliss in a VM?

Personally I'd just dedicate a little box to it

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Franziska

As Remix OS is gone, can anyone recommend an alternative Android Emulator without subscription and without unwanted background downloads?

You should be able to find any of several other Android emulators for Windows with a targeted search.

Most or perhaps all of them are about enabling the playing of Android games on Windows. And the free of retail cost price for such emulators may be the reason for your observation about downloads in the background.

The only Android emulator I've used and can recommend is Android Studio.

Unfortunately for you, it's not intended for game players or even casual use of an Android app on Windows. Android Studio instead provides an environment for developing an Android app. And of course that means it provides an emulator.

Android Studio is stable and downloads nothing in the background. It is however large (about 1 GB of your harddisk real estate). And unlike the emulators focused on game-playing (Bluestacks, Nox, etc), it's not intended to provide a simple click and play solution.

That being said, you should be able to download it from: https://developer.android.com/studio

My only other suggestion would be to try your luck with other of the emulators meant for game players. Such as Nox. It's only intended for playing one game at a time and it emulates only an old version of Android whereas Bluestacks boasts of emulating a recent version of Android). But it might work for your SailGrib use. My recommendation is not from using it, but from observing other people use it on Win 10 machines.

[Franziska]

Thanks. I'll give Bliss in a VM a try. Really a shame that RemixOS died.
As I do not want any games on my computers I do not like what Bluestacks does...

[john61ct]

of course diving down tech rabbit holes may give workarounds

firewall for example

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by john61ct

of course diving down tech rabbit holes may give workarounds

If you don't want to run an Android emulator, then surely one tech rabbit hole down which to dive is to:

* join the Micro$oft Windows 10 Insider Preview Fast Ring, and update your Windows 10 to 19H1 preview build 18356 (available since 12 March 2019); and then

* install - *IF you run Android 7 on your device* - the Android app "Your Phone", which mirrors the screen of your Android device on your Windows 10 monitor. See: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/yo...e/9nmpj99vjbwv

Functionality of Windows 10 + Your Phone is not yet complete. But it has been getting better every month since late 2018.

The touch facility does not yet work (but Micro$oft promises it will, one day soon, but only if your PC monitor can act as a touch screen).

The degree of functionality, again promised without the need to sacrifice your first born or even a goat, will likely improve towards fullness with each passing Tuesday (US time) you remain on the Fast Ring.

[john61ct]

Not sure what that buys you?

Whole point I thought is not needing any actual Android hardware.

Plenty of ways to get an Android desktop going, personally Windows would be the last piece I'd want in the mix.

[Franziska]

Having done some tests, I got PrimeOS (an Android-x86 offspring) installed in a Hyper V box.
Runs fine inside a window of Windows 10.
Could be installed also as dual boot, but I prefer it in the Hyper-V box.
Sailgrib WR runs flawless within it.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/and...ktops-t3858992

Hyper-V is an extremely simple to use Virtual Box which comes as a install if needed component of Windows 10.

[john61ct]

Thanks for the report.

[Franziska]

Your welcome.

[hellosailor]

AFAIK the Android SDK contains a full Android emulator, and that won't be downloading any crapware to your system. I can't see any reason to use a third-party emulator when there's an official one out there.

[Franziska]

The last time I visited Android SDK it was huge and clumsy (at least for non developers and average users).
It's not optimised when it comes to performance and efficiency either.
Mostly because it has a lot of features running for developers which the normal user does not need to have running.
I agree though that it might not load down crapware like Bluestacks or Genymotion or some other emulators do.

Shame that RemixOS died.