If you want to use Android on your laptop or desktop computer then the best way is to use the Android x86 distribution.
I also recommend using virtualisation software
such as VirtualBox for running Android as it is in not ready to be used
as the main operating system on your computer and Android isn't
designed specifically for mainstream computing and unless you have a
touchscreen some of the controls would become painful during the course
of time.
If you have some games that you like to play on your
phone or tablet and you want to have them available on your computer
then using Android within VirtualBox is the best solution. You don't
have to alter your disk partitions and it can be installed within Linux
or Windows environments.
There are some drawbacks however and this
list is going to highlight 5 essential tips and tricks for using
Android Within VirtualBox. Click here for a guide showing how to install Android within VirtualBox.
Android Screen Resolution.
1.
Alter The Screen Resolution Of Android Within VirtualBox
The first thing you will notice when you try Android within
VirtualBox is that the screen is limited to something like 640 x 480.
This might be suitable for phone applications but for tablets the screen might need to be a little bit bigger.
There
isn't a simple setting in either VirtualBox or Android for adjusting
the screen resolution and size and so it ends up being a bit of an
effort to do both. Click here for a guide showing how to adjust the Android screen resolution within VirtualBox.
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Android Screen Rotation.
2.
Turn Off Screen Rotation Within Android
The most important thing you can do when you first run Android within VirtualBox is turn off auto rotate.
There are lots of applications in the play store designed for phones and as such they are designed to run in portrait mode.
The thing about most laptops is that the screen is designed in landscape mode.
As soon as you run an application it auto rotates and your screen is flipped to 90 degrees.
Turn
off auto rotate by dragging down the top bar from the right corner and
click the auto rotate button so that it becomes rotation locked.
This should alleviate the screen rotation issue. Although the next tip will fix it fully.
If you find that your screen still rotates press the F9 key twice quickly to straighten it up again.
The Curse Of Auto Rotate.
3.
Install Smart Rotator To Rotate All Applications To Landscape
Despite turning of screen rotation the applications themselves may still rotate the screen by 90 degrees into portrait mode.
Now you have three options at this point:
Turn your head 90 degrees
Turn the laptop onto its side
Install Smart Rotator
Smart Rotator is a free Android Application that lets you specify how an application is to run.
For each application you can choose either "Portrait" or "Landscape".
This
tip has to work in conjunction with the screen resolution tip because
some games become a nightmare if you run them in landscape when they
were supposed to run in portrait mode. Arkanoid and Tetris for example become impossible to play.
This should probably have been the first item on the list
because it is quite an annoying feature and without following this tip
you will be hunting for the mouse pointer.
When you first click into the VirtualBox window running Android your mouse pointer will disappear.
The resolution is simple. Select "Machine" and then "Disable Mouse Integration" from the menu.
Prevent Android Black Screen.
5.
Fixing The Black Screen Of Death
If you leave the screen idle for any length of time the Android screen goes black.
It isn't immediately obvious how to get back to the main Android screen again.
Press
the right CTRL key so that the mouse cursor becomes available and then
select the "Machine" and then "ACPI Shutdown" option.
The Android screen will reappear.
It might be better however to change the sleep settings within Android.
Drag down from the top right corner and click on "Settings". Select "Display" and then select "Sleep".
There is an option called "Never Time Out". Place a radio button into this option.
Now you never have to worry about the black screen of death.
Bonus Tips
Some games are designed for portrait mode and so the tip for fixing
auto rotate might work but will cause the game to work differently to
how it is planned.
Why not have two Android virtual machines. One with a landscape
resolution and one with a portrait resolution.
Android games are mainly made for touch screen devices and so playing
with the mouse might get tricky. Consider using a bluetooth games
controller to play the games.
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