Windows Platform Developer Updates Feb 2016

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Windows 10 version 1511 is here, the first major update to Windows 10 since release in the summer. And it brings a number of exciting new features, such as the release of Windows 10 for Mobile, bringing Windows 10 to phone devices, including new phones supporting the amazing Continuum for Mobile where your phone can run apps on a connected screen such as a TV or monitor, and you can connect up a mouse and keyboard to give a PC-like computing experience all from your phone! There is also Microsoft Passport and Windows Hello, replacing passwords for logon with biometrics such as face, iris or fingerprint recognition. And for enterprises, there's also the release of the Windows Store for Business, a great new way to distribute apps to your company users.

For developers, there's a new SDK, Version 10586 which comes as a part of Visual Studio 2015 Update 1. Using the updated SDK and tools, you can build apps to take advantage of these new Windows 10 features.

Developers' Guide to Windows 10 videos where Andy and Shen give you everything you need to know in order to build compelling application experiences on Windows 10.

Developers Guide Updated 1511 https://aka.ms/dev1511

Visual Studio Tooling

Visual Studio Update 1 - https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/news/vs2015-update1-vs.aspx

New SDK Features

Windows.UI.Composition -- Provides APIs for user interface composition.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.ui.composition.aspx
OpenSource Gihub https://github.com/Microsoft/composition

Windows.Devices.Perception - Provides classes for handling image frames from colour cameras, depth sensors, and infrared cameras.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.devices.perception.aspx

New design templates (https://aka.ms/windesign)

PowerPoint templates

This deck has everything you need to quickly mock up wireframes for UWP apps, including controls and layouts.

PowerPoint templates

Adobe Illustrator templates

These Adobe Illustrator templates provide controls and layouts for designing UWP apps.

Adobe Illustrator templates

Adobe Photoshop templates

Controls and layouts for designing UWP apps in Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop templates

UWP app design PDF

Get all of our design guidance as a PDF for easy viewing.

UWP app design PDF

 

Get a Windows 10 development environment

Start your Universal Windows Platform development quickly using an evaluation virtual machine.

Try out the Windows 10 development environment without spending the time it would normally take to set up and configure a device for development or test use. Run this VM on your current Mac or PC for a 60-day evaluation of the Universal Windows Platform tools and technologies to accelerate bringing your existing code to Windows.

We’ve provided a Windows 10 development environment in a number of different virtual machine implementations- matched to the latest release and ready to go.

Download a virtual machine (Build 201602)

Choose your virtual machine implementation of choice to begin developing with Windows 10.

VMWare Hyper-V VirtualBox Parallels

These installs contain:

Want to try Windows 10 we now have Evaluation VMs https://aka.ms/winvms

Windows Store for Business image

Store management for organisations

Make volume purchases from the Windows Store

Distribute apps to employees

Create a private store (mix Store and private LOB apps)

Assign apps

Use MDM to distribute apps

Offline licensing

Manage licenses (assign / reclaim / re-use)

Publishers can create LOB apps for specific organisation

For more details see https://aka.ms/winbus

Developer Center Updates

Dev Center Multi-user + Role support

•Add additional users to your Dev Center account

All based around AAD identities

image

Dev Center Accounts still created with an MSA (owner)

MSA is required for app <-> Store association in Visual Studio

 

New Single age rating system for app submissions with IARC system which automatically issues required age ratings for all apps and games based on answers to a short questionnaire https://www.globalratings.com/for-developers.aspx

Windows 10 Momentum

200M PCs, tablets and phones running Win10
Fastest growing Windows
3B+ visits to Store since launch
2x paid transactions this “holiday season” vs last
Win10 customers generate 4.5x more revenue per device than Win8
Games by far most popular category (by DL) – 32%
Monetization IAP (49%), MS Ads (37%), Paid app (14%)

See Store trends at https://aka.ms/trends0216