A very well locked-down start menu.
18 months ago, OnLive, Inc. launched their cloud gaming service to the world. Shortly after, they started making noises that gaming wasn’t their only target.
The OnLive Desktop. Just like home.
Recently, OnLive launched their cloud desktop service, called OnLive Desktop, which allows iPad users (Android, iPhone, and desktop versions coming soon) to visit a fully functional Windows Desktop loaded with the three primary Office applications that just about everyone uses (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). The base account, which is free for everyone, even includes 2GB of secure storage that appears in your documents folder just like on a regular computer. In the future, OnLive Desktop will have a Pro service ($9.99/month) with 50GB of storage, web browsing, and the ability to install your own applications (with restrictions, which have not yet been announced). Hopefully, one of those applications is a browser other than Internet Explorer.
So what is the experience like?
Please hold. The next available desktop will be with you shortly.
Unfortunately, at the moment, everyone and their brother is having a look at the service, so getting access sometimes requires a several-minute wait. But once you get in, it feels pretty natural. When you log in, you are presented with a standard Windows 7 desktop with just about everything you would expect to see. There are shortcuts to many of the available applications, a taskbar and start menu, and even some sample documents, games, and media files to get started with. It feels a lot like a Terminal Services session on steroids. Navigation and “clicking” is natural and smooth, utilizing many of the technologies that allows OnLive’s gaming service to work.
The interface uses Windows 7’s touch system, which has the effect of making the iPad feel like a very thin Windows 7 tablet PC. The touch keyboard and writing input leave a bit to be desired on the iPad’s screen, but might be pretty nice with a stylus. I would definitely recommend an accessory keyboard if you were going to try and do any serious work in this environment. Playing the included games leaves quite a bit to be desired, as the translation of touch inputs over the network tend to increase lag and reduce efficiency in touches and movements.
Included are some touch-enabled games
You can access any documents you create from the OnLive Desktop website and download them to your personal desktop at any time. You can also use the website to upload existing documents you want to work on remotely. Uploaded documents show up automatically in your Documents folder within a minute or so, with no user intervention required.
Overall, I think OnLive has put together a great start on a fantastic idea. They have also done so at a price point that makes it difficult to say no to at least a try. For $10/month, I could see a lot of people working this service into their budgets for desktop access anywhere, any time.
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