OnLive Desktop gives iPad owners the gift of Windows

Running Windows 7 on an iPad via the cloud may sound like a convoluted, impossible dream, but it's exactly what OnLive is doing with its new OnLive Desktop App.

Via the app, iPad owners can gain access to a fully functioning Windows desktop complete with Microsoft Office productivity apps like Word and Powerpoint.

OnLive handles this in much the same way as it does its streaming games. Rather than process anything on devices themselves, OnLive's software shifts the burden to the cloud. And if things go right, the user will never notice the difference.

The app itself is free, and OnLive will offer with it a free 2GB of storage. A 50GB, $10 per month version will also be offered in the near future.

While the app will initially be offered solely for the iPad, OnLive intends to expand support to Android devices, Macs, PC's, and even televisions.

In all, the move is a bit of a departure from video games, but it may turn out to be a pretty lucrative one for OnLive in the end.