Want to try Microsoft’s Windows 8 Metro interface? There’s been a lot of chatter about Windows 8 tablets – and now you can see first-hand what the experience will be like by trying it on your iPad!
Splashtop, makers of popular remote desktop apps, have released a new “Windows 8 Testbed” app for the iPad, as well as a client to install on your Windows 8 PC (or a Windows 8 install on a virtual machine), allowing you to experience the Metro tablet interface hands-on.
Splashtop is the ONLY app that allows you to experience the Windows 8 Metro UI on an iPad. If you’re a Windows 8 app developer, this is a great way to preview the capabilities of your app on an actual tablet using touch gestures.
Windows 8 Metro touch gestures are supported, so you can take advantage of all the underlying touch capabilities of Windows 8 as you build your app:
- Swipe from the right to view the Charms menu
- Swipe from the left to switch apps
- Pull down from the top to close an app
- Swipe slowly from the left to run two apps side-by-side (“snapping”)
- Pinch to navigate files, folders, apps and data with Semantic Zoom
- And more
The Testbed app is meant as a way for developers to test how well their Metro apps will work on a tablet, but many non-developers will likely be interested in trying out the interface as well. Windows 8 Testbed for iPad does cost $25 (on sale, reduced from $50), which may be worth it for developers, but curious consumers may want to hold off ($24.99, App Store link).
For more information on how it all works, check out Splashtop’s Windows 8 page on the web! Meanwhile, check out the below video to see it in action:
