How to run Android application on Windows?

I do not have any Android device however I want to try some Android applications on my Windows PC. What options do I have?

I already installed Android-x86 Project on Virtual PC however when I tried download application from Android market I've got following message:

There are no Android phones associated with this account. 

Solution 1:

You cannot download apps from the Android Market website. You can only select apps to be installed on a device that has recently used the Market app, using the same Google account that you are logged into the website with.

I recomend using the Android emulator rather than the Android-x86 project. Regardless, neither has the Market, but apps can be installed from other sources. This answer on Android Enthusiasts links to some information on that, and the Android x86 project also has info on installing apps.

Solution 2:

BlueStacks App Player is the best tool I've found for running Android apps on a PC (as opposed to emulating an Android device, for example because you are writing an app and want to see what it would look like on a phone). It's free and has very good compatibility.