I can't download apps from the Play Store on my Android device (maybe due to a network issue), so I'm wondering how could I download the APK file of an app on my PC from http://play.google.com/store?
Answer
There is no easy way to download an APK file. However, redphoenix89 has found a way to download the APK with a Chrome extension. bexton did some cleanups and the result including a guide is available:
The guide mentions that you need to disable SSL warnings, but I could download APKs even without disabling SSL warnings (Chromium 21.0.1180.81 on Linux) An updated version that works with Chromium 23 is available on https://github.com/Lekensteyn/apk-downloader.
After installation and configuration, there will be a new button in the location bar for the Android Market as can be seen below. It even works if you are not logged in on the page itself since you have entered your credentials in the APK Downloader options screen.
The Chromium extension is completely open-source (in the sense that you can unzip it and check the Javascript files) and I have not found anything suspicious.
Also note the note on the end of the guide:
Legal Note / Disclaimer
Finally, please note that the use of this Chrome extension is violating Google's Play Store TOS! You've been warned.
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