[Windows 8 General] TheManii:
Virtualbox and android are licensed under GPLv2/CDDL and apache respectively. Android specifically is exactly the same as stock device roms, they're under no obilgation to return code to upstream. (though every large project like this should return code, but bar the kernel they dont have to for the android portion).

virtualbox, i'm guessing they're using CDDL for it if they're not returning code.

Tell oracle (or whoever is developing it) and the android x86 teams to not release their sources under free software licenses that arnt also copyleft then.

At least with androidx86 I believe that they're free to migrate from apache -> gplv3 (according to wikipedia I dont believe gplv2 is applicable without relicensing?). But they didnt, they're still apache, which means they full well know that they can be forked and not have code returned.

Those two points are pretty much universally expected for android devices. Samsung and HTC are good enough that they provide mode then the minimal GPL modules, but they're closer to the exception then the norm. There's plenty of very low end (but inexpensive) ICS tabs being hawked on our own market. I cant really see them giving more then the bare minimum (even if that) much less providing any updates at all. They're just as much making a quick buck by only offering updates by buying a new model.

They've havnt required facebook since 0.5.0.2002, which I believe was their first public release. It was merely the cloud client that required it. You can easily use the alphas and betas without even having a facebook acct. I cant speak on how they are about people that actually opt-ed in to attachign their FB accts, but I dont have one period.

Perhaps their cloud sync isnt respecting your privacy as it should, because you right about that part. Bstacks doesnt have a clear privacy policy (or any at all on their site currently)

They're not the only ones using getsatisfaction, which acts as their support point. I cant say that I like it, but it's there. They've added a couple suggestions due to it, but it's not a forum.

Realistically, how long do you have to wait for androidx86 to be bundled in a way that lets you run it in a vm, have fair virtualization/emulation, and is stable? (though bstacks is still beta, and androidx86 is 'rc1') Androidx86 is targeting bare metal, bstacks isnt. Perhaps androidx86 actually runs perfectly well under a vm and also supports some level of hardware passthough too. Their site has instructions for using the eeepc froyo iso on virtualbox. But they obviously dont officially support virtualbox or qemu as they dont provide direct images, they merely happen to work/boot on them.

Androidx86 has 5 different isos targeting 5 different platforms, and none of them match my devices (or any of my vms explicitly). Bstacks explicitly supports vista/7 and implicitly is going to support xp/8 in the future.

I'd much rather have something working now that targets my interests then wait for something that might be more sustainable but isnt targeting me.

It's much like how xda has moto droid forums, really you shouldnt be supporting moto at least when it comes to their locked down bootloaders.

But we're not telling people to buy a different device, we give them workarounds and guides.

Finally, all bstacks is is just an opengl passthough, why has noone else done it already?

I dont expect that androidx86 on virtualbox integrates as well otherwise it'd already be huge news.

I want a virtualized android so my convertable laptop can double as a really high end android tablet, and that's what bstacks will eventually offer.

(if and when they migrate from 2.3.4 to 4.0.x)

If there's any errors, feel free to correct me. I'm rather unsure about how correct I am on the virtualbox parts.

Edit: after trying androidx86 2.3/3.2/4.0 it's fairly useless as a android tablet replacement. They dont support VM integration, and that's pretty much a requirement if you intend to use it to compliment your OS (vs merely being a utility on your os).

4.0 doesnt even work on vb with vb 4.1.8, it cant reach the home screen.

Dont take this as criticism of androidx86 though, they're always going to be undermanned and underfunded. And like previously mentioned VB isnt even a tier 1 target for them.

But realistically, there's no current alternative to bstacks for windows. Seriously suggesting androidx86 + virtualbox right now is like saying to trade for a transformer to someone asking how to install CM9 on the touchpad