Developers. Designers. Businesses.
Meet Windows.
Develop Windows Store apps
Get started building beautiful apps that are alive with activity and vibrant content.
Develop with IE
Discover why IE is perfect for building fast and fluid, touch-enabled web experiences.
Develop for Desktop
From productivity to games, use proven technology to deliver great experiences.
Get your desktop app in the Windows Store
Develop Windows hardware
Learn how to build, debug and certify hardware and device drivers that work great with Windows.
Powerful tools, peerless principles
Visual Studio Express 2012
Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8 is a free, lightweight version of the powerful Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE). Visual Studio Express is packaged with Blend, which now also helps you work with HTML5 and CSS3. Blend provides access to Windows controls and an integrated tool to profile user interfaces.
Cloud-connected
Give users access to all of their photos, files, and friends at any time and on any device, using their Microsoft account. You can use Windows Azure to quickly build, deploy and manage applications and services, and your users can store and share files and communicate with the people most important to them using SkyDrive and Outlook.com.
Fast and fluid
With Windows 8, we created a touch-optimized platform that people interact with in an intuitive way. As a result, interactions with the operating system and UI elements feel natural and responsive. Animations and transitions are used deliberately, and effects are subtle and designed to enhance the connection between users and their PC. App layout and presentation are simplified with easy-to-use layout APIs and presentation controls.
Tiles are alive and connected
Through tiles on the Start screen, apps are alive with activity and can deliver vibrant content, even when they're not running. Using live tiles, your app can provide useful, at-a-glance data to the user, while minimizing battery usage. Windows Push Notification Services enables your app to receive messages and send them to your app's live tile or provide a notification to the user.
Product guide for developers
Opportunity. Unprecedented access to users worldwide. New tools and services. Imagine, build, and sell your app.
Resources for iOS developers
Don't just port your app. Reimagine your app, and take advantage of Windows 8 features.
Windows and Windows Phone apps
Choose an efficient approach for maximizing your development time.
Web standards and Internet Explorer
Design your websites using features based on established standards, such as HTML5, CSS3, and SVG.