OnLive to stream Windows desktop to iPad, Android devices | For the Record Podcast - CNET News: Beginning on Thursday, U.S. iPad users will be able to download an app from the iTunes App Store to use the free service. Users can sign up early, starting Tuesday.
The free service provides 2 gigabytes of storage. After an initial testing phase, OnLive will offer a $9.99-per-month OnLive Desktop Pro version with 50GB of storage and access to additional software, including programs that customers can download themselves to OnLive's servers. The company will also launch an enterprise version, with which IT professionals will be able to add additional software and allocate employee access privileges.
Even with the free service, when you sign on, you see a Windows 7 desktop, which, based on a hands-on demo at the company's Palo Alto, Calif., office, starts up very quickly. OnLive is taking advantage of some of the features built into Windows 7 for tablets (yes, Microsoft has supported Windows tablets for years) to give users an iPad-like experience, even though they're using the iPad as a terminal to run Windows. Features include pinch and zoom, drag and drop, and the ability to draw or write on the screen with a finger or a stylus. The version of Office available for streaming includes handwriting recognition.