Flash Browsing Comes to iPad via OnLive App

OnLive Desktop Plus now offers Flash animation and video despite Apple's dislike of Adobe's dying medium.

Talk about "eat that, Apple." OnLive's Desktop Plus for the iPad tablet now provides full PC Flash-based animation and video thanks to the company's Gigabit speed accelerated browsing. You won't get this kind of love on the freebie Standard version however, requiring iPad owners to shell out $4.99 per month for "Plus" which also grants priority access and "lightning-fast" transfers of Web email attachments (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc) and cloud storage files (Dropbox, Pogo, etc).

"Running remotely on powerful PCs in the cloud that are connected by Gigabit Ethernet to the Internet, OnLive Desktop Plus utilizes OnLive’s patented instant-action cloud gaming technology to deliver a seamless PC application and Web experience, instantly responsive to multi-touch gestures, as well as a full PC on-screen keyboard, handwriting recognition and optional Bluetooth keyboard."

OnLive claims a 50 MB file from cloud storage or a 15 MB attachment from Web email can download or upload in less than a second. Desktop Plus can even dramatically reduce Web browsing data usage, since only the top layer of the currently visible part of a website is ever sent over the local connection. That means OnLive Desktop delivers only what you can see or hear at a given moment.

The free OnLive Desktop app is available for iPad now in the United States. Android, smartphone, PC, Mac and monitor/TV support (via the OnLive MicroConsole thin client with Bluetooth keyboard/mouse) are coming soon. Support in the UK and other countries is coming soon as well.

Here's a breakdown of all four versions of Onlive Desktop:

OnLive Desktop Standard -- Free -- Available
As-available access to OnLive Desktop, with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Reader
2 GB of secure cloud storage, appearing as your Documents folder on OnLive Desktop

OnLive Desktop Plus -- $4.99/month -- Available
All features of OnLive Desktop Standard and…
Priority access to OnLive Desktop
Cloud-accelerated Web browser, with:
-- Lightning-fast transfer of Web mail attachments and cloud storage files
-- Full Adobe Flash and Acrobat® PDF plug-ins

OnLive Desktop Pro -- starting at $9.99/month -- Coming soon*
All features of OnLive Desktop Plus and…
50 GB of secure cloud storage, appearing as your Documents folder on OnLive Desktop
Ability to customize OnLive Desktop with additional PC applications

OnLive Enterprise (contact enterprise@onlive.com for more information)*
IT-managed OnLive Desktops for businesses and organizations
Available for custom integration by independent software vendors, consultants

*OnLive collaborative services -- including live desktop spectating and desktop sharing with voice chat for small groups or thousands of simultaneous users -- are coming soon to OnLive Desktop Pro and OnLive Enterprise.