Windows 8 Is Shown to Developers

Microsoft gave developers a detailed preview of Windows 8 at the BUILD conference in September 2011. The most dramatic change was a new touch-first interface built around large tiles, while the traditional Windows desktop remained underneath.

The new application model, originally called Metro-style apps, used the Windows Runtime rather than the classic Win32 API for many tasks. Microsoft supported development with languages including C++, C#, Visual Basic, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Applications were designed for sandboxing, suspend/resume behavior, and distribution through a new Windows Store.

Windows 8 was therefore not just a visual redesign. Microsoft was trying to create a modern application platform without breaking the enormous library of existing Windows desktop software. The difficulty of making those two worlds feel coherent became the defining challenge of the final product.