Win8 Metro Testbed: Test Win8 applications with iPad

Today, the remote desktop software developer Splashtop released the iOS app Win8 Metro Testbed, which helps application developers use the iPad to test applications in the Windows 8 environment.

It’s still a few months before the release of Windows 8, and one of the big challenges Microsoft faces is attracting app developers. In addition, Windows 8 application developers are still facing a real problem, that is, the lack of suitable hardware.

Cliff Miller, president and chief operating officer of Splashtop Asia Pacific, said: "If they need to use touch gestures to test their applications, they have only one option, which is to buy a Windows tablet. This will cost between $500 and $1,000, or even more. However, 99% of Windows 8 tablet app developers have an iPad. 

Currently, the Windows 8 tablet is not available yet. Microsoft has released a public preview of Windows 8, but the final version of Windows 8 is expected to be released in October this year. Developers can choose to use the Windows 7 tablet test application, but Miller points out that this is a huge expense for small developers.

The iPad is the most popular tablet product, with the largest number of iPad tablet applications, currently reaching 200,000. At the same time, the iOS platform is most popular with mobile developers. Market research firm IDC and Appcelerator surveys show that 89% of developers surveyed said they are interested in developing iOS applications, the number of Android platform is 78.6%, while Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 tablet is only 37%.

Compared to other App Store apps, the price of Win8 Metro Testbed is not cheap. The Win8 Metro Testbed is priced at $49.99 and has a limited time limit of $24.99. However, this is much cheaper than buying a new device.

Obviously, this app is encouraging iOS developers to develop apps for competitive platforms. Interestingly, Apple allows such applications to appear on its platform. In a sense, this also shows that iOS is still the first choice for application developers.