

Getting Started with Android App Runtime for Chrome - cpeterso
https://developer.chrome.com/apps/getstarted_arc

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johladam
Having used ARC, I'm surprised at how well it works. ARC runs applications
noticeably faster than my Nexus 5, and it runs amazing well compared to the
Android emulator. I think in the next few months well see someone creating a
plugin for Android Studio that will allow you to use it as opposed to using
the standard emulator with Intel HAXM.

~~~
kyriakos
That would be great. One of the reasons I never got into android development
is the unbearable performance of the emulator.

~~~
kenrikm
Same here, however I've recently been doing some android and if you Install
Genymotion it's actually not as terrible.

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azakai
The title is incorrect - it should remove the "OS" part. ARC means "App
Runtime for Chrome", it is not specific to Chrome OS.

That isn't a trivial difference - it matters. This is Google bringing Android
apps to Chrome - on Mac, on Windows, on Linux, on Chrome OS - and not just to
Chrome OS. In other words, Chrome isn't just a browser, it also does things
that have nothing to do with being a browser.

~~~
dreac
Where did you get the Windows, Mac, Linux part? All current ARC apps are
Chrome OS only. (e.g.; Vine, Evernote) Is there a release date for ARC for
Win, Mac and Linux?

~~~
ahomescu1
From the link:

    
    
       To test your app, you need three things:
    
        Your APK.
        PC, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook on Chrome Version 41+.
        The ARC Welder app.
    

I successfully installed the ARC Welder app on my Macbook (haven't tried it
yet though).

~~~
itsjareds
Is ARC Welder intended to be the official way to do what chromeos-apk[1] does?
I have had mixed success with chromeos-apk. Some apps work flawlessly, others
crash performing certain operations, and others crash immediately. It would be
nice if ARC welder does it all right.

edit: I should have read the other comments first. It looks like ARC does
exactly what I'd hoped.[2]

[1] [https://github.com/vladikoff/chromeos-
apk](https://github.com/vladikoff/chromeos-apk)

[2] [http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/04/googles-arc-opens-
up-...](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/04/googles-arc-opens-up-to-
developers-runs-android-apps-on-most-desktop-oses/)

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MichaelCrawford
That is an unfortunate name for an API; most people these days know ARC as
Automated Reference Counting, which Apple's Cocoa and Cocoa touch use to hide
memory management.

~~~
sagarm
The API targets Android devs. I doubt many of them particularly care about
Apple's ARC.

~~~
MichaelCrawford
There are many developers, as well as many software publishers who support
both iOS and Android.

~~~
saurik
I would even go so far as to say people who only target or care about one
platform are an extreme minority.

~~~
hobarrera
Generally, developers focus on a single platform (eg: iOS), and whomever hired
them hires another dev to handle the each other mobile platform (eg: Android,
etc).

In my experience, I've never seen a same developer work on both.

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bliti
I was part of the original group of early access developers. If anyone has any
questions regarding ARC feel free to contact me.

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tdkl
Hope this doesn't mean that data collecting Google Play Services are coming to
the desktop as well.

