httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XwIeWfvcZ_o

Splashtop, the company behind various remote desktop apps for the iPad, has really outdone itself by porting the entire Windows 8 tablet Metro UI to the iPad. Kinda. While you can swipe away and use all of Windows 8’s gestures and even run your own Apps on there, you’ll need a Windows 8 PC to actually stream the apps to the iPad. In reality, it’s just like a virtual desktop app, only with its own native iPad interface.

Splashtop has really gone to town on this app, with the following gestures fully supported:

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

Even the name is suitably clunky for something to do with Microsoft: Win8 Metro Testbed – powered by Splashtop.

The app isn’t cheap: you’ll need to spend $25 to get it. But the idea is that you can develop for Win 8 tablets without actually buying one, which makes it look a lot more reasonable.

Win8 Metro Testbed – powered by Splashtop is available now on the App Store.