Where to get APKs without the market?


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I've got Android-x86 2.2 installed and running perfectly on my LG Netbook, the only problem is the default app store doesn't have very many apps, and it seems whenever I go to twitter.com it detects I'm running android and wants to boot me to the native twitter app. That's obviously not going so well for me. I've changed the settings to allow installing any .apk but now I'd like to know where I could go to get stuff. I'm not trusting stuff that comes up in search results, no idea if they're pirated apps or have malware bundled with them.

Instructions on how to get the market running would also be cool - I tried logging in with my gmail account but I get an error that I don't have a phone associated with the account.

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Android Market has thousands of apps

Don't know if it will work running it on a netbook as the ID will be unknown to the market.

You might have to pull an ID from the SDK Emulator and push it to the netbook install for the market to work

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Android Market has thousands of apps

Don't know if it will work running it on a netbook as the ID will be unknown to the market.

You might have to pull an ID from the SDK Emulator and push it to the netbook install for the market to work

How would I go about this?

The market has hundreds of thousands of apps... :unsure:

I really wish I could report people for only reading the title and not the post.
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AFAIK, changing the info in build.prop (in /system/) should allow you to see more apps. Simply changing the value of "ro.product.model" and "ro.product.brand" allowed me to get the Netflix app before it was widely available. You have to be rooted to do this, but I'm assuming you already are since you installed Android yourself.

If you don't want to do that there's always the Amazon App Store and GetJar.com. There are other trustworthy sites and "app store" apps, but those two are the only 3rd party sources I still bother with for apps, so I can't even think of the names of others.

I really wish I could report people for only reading the title and not the post.

He was probably responding to the part where you said there aren't many apps in the default market.

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AFAIK, changing the info in build.prop (in /system/) should allow you to see more apps. Simply changing the value of "ro.product.model" and "ro.product.brand" allowed me to get the Netflix app before it was widely available. You have to be rooted to do this, but I'm assuming you already are since you installed Android yourself.

If you don't want to do that there's always the Amazon App Store and GetJar.com. There are other trustworthy sites and "app store" apps, but those two are the only 3rd party sources I still bother with for apps, so I can't even think of the names of others.

He was probably responding to the part where you said there aren't many apps in the default market.

Ah, that's where the confusion is. The default one that comes with Android x86 isn't the Android Market, it's something called AndAppStore which is intended for Android devices that don't get the Google seal of approval. So changing those settings wouldn't help unless I could figure how to get the Android Market on there to begin with.I just tried GetJar and it works... mostly. Couldn't download Twitter and Opera Mobile for some bizarre reason. I tried going for the Amazon App Store but there doesn't seem to be a download link for the app store app itself anywhere obvious. I can find apps listed in the store through the browser but I can't seem to get the apps themselves.
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. I tried going for the Amazon App Store but there doesn't seem to be a download link for the app store app itself anywhere obvious. I can find apps listed in the store through the browser but I can't seem to get the apps themselves.

To get the app store apk, you have to put your e-mail address (or phone number, which wouldn't help you here) in the "Getting Started" box in the top right of the screen: http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011 Then you will get e-mailed a download link.

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Well that was a disappointment, the Amazon App Store is only available in the US. Guess that solves whether I would have ever got the Kindle Fire.

So GetJar seems to be the only site so far, and compared to the Amazon App Store it's a bit weak in selection. If anyone has any other suggestions that they can think of I'd love to hear them. :)

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In this case I'd use the most unimaginative way - if possible, ask someone who has an Android phone to help you out (a fellow geek even, if applicable).

Then use a backup app to get the APKs and transfer them to your device.

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If for some reason your Android Market is not working there is also the Amazon app store, and also you can get stuff from Getjar there is also a website/appstore called Slide me

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In this case I'd use the most unimaginative way - if possible, ask someone who has an Android phone to help you out (a fellow geek even, if applicable).

Then use a backup app to get the APKs and transfer them to your device.

That's doable. I've got a friend who's in Tokyo at the moment but could help out when gets back.
It might, I'll set some time aside to try that out. Thanks!
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There's no point. Android apps are compiled to ARM and won't run on Androidx86. Take a look at Bluestacks instead.

You couldn't be more wrong. Android apps aren't compiled to any platform, they're Java and run in a VM called Dalvik.
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Well that was a disappointment, the Amazon App Store is only available in the US.

Actually, it's not.

You can use it in any country, there's another thread about it somewhere I'm sure, or try searching online. Although I only use it for the free app of the day. I can't actually buy anything using the set up I have.

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I looked it up, there's no mention of how to deal with the requirement of credit card info that the App Store (now?) has.

Use a PayPal test credit card number.

Use Google's address in the USA (or another).

Set it up as 1-click ordering.

ONLY download the free apps (on the free app a day offer).

Won't work for other apps.

See here - I guess it's the first link, although can't check right now.

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