Previously only available as a beta tool for Windows, an alpha version of Bluestacks App Player has been unveiled for Mac users. Whether you are a fan of a particular Android game, or just prefer the Android Facebook app to anything that is available for OS X, this emulation tool makes it possible to run apps on your Mac rather than a mobile device.

This means that you can take advantage of a mouse and keyboard rather than having to rely on gestures and an on-screen keyboard, and it also provides a more uniform experience as you move from one device to another. All that’s needed is a copy of Snow Leopard or Lion, and it does not matter if you are currently using an Android device or not.

Bluestacks App Player

Although rather more limited than its Windows counterpart, it is important to remember that this is only an alpha preview. There is currently only support for a very small number of apps – including Facebook, Guns’n’Glory, Paper Toss and Twitter – but there are plans to expand this support to be far more wide reaching.

While the ability to run Android apps on your Mac without the need to worry about installing a software development kit is likely to be appealing to many people, the very small number of apps that can currently be used means that this is really just a proof of concept at the moment. One the platform has been opened up further so that users are able to install any app from Google Play, things will start to look much more interesting.

You can find out more and download the alpha by paying a visit to the Bluestacks App Player review page.