Thought I’d pass this list along for anyone wanting to get started with Windows 8 and Metro style.
Developer downloads
| Content | URL | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 8 Consumer Preview Download | http://bitly.com/WIN8cp | Windows 8 Consumer Preview download (web installer or ISO’s), videos, and FAQ’s. |
| Developer downloads for Metro style apps | http://bitly.com/metroDwnld | Visual Studio 11 Express and the Windows 8 SDK + all the extra tools and SDK’s for Metro style app development. |
| Design assets for Metro style apps | http://bitly.com/MetroUX | 100+ Photoshop files with common controls, shell components, tiles, icons, animation clips, color wheel references, and more. |
Metro style app developer content
| Content | URL | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Dev Center home | http://bitly.com/DevCtr | Links to Metro style app, Desktop app, Hardware, and IE development. |
| Metro style app development home | http://bitly.com/MetroCtr | Links to key resources for designing, developing, and selling Metro style apps. |
| Product guide for developers | http://bitly.com/PGwin8 | Windows 8 Consumer Preview Product Guide for Developers. |
| Official documentation | http://bitly.com/MetroDocs | Comprehensive docs, articles, quickstarts, roadmaps, tutorials, checklists, developer agreements, and whitepapers covering all aspects of app design, development, and selling: · Getting started · Planning apps · Designing UX for apps · Developing apps · Packaging apps · Debugging and testing apps · Selling apps · API reference · Concepts and architecture · Language reference · End-to-end apps |
| Design resources | http://bitly.com/DesignUX | Design principles, UX design patterns, detailed UX guidelines, downloadable design assets, assessing usability. |
| Selling apps in the Windows Store | http://bitly.com/W8Store | Windows Store markets, developer agreements, and checklists to prepare. |
| Developer downloads for Metro style apps | http://bitly.com/DwnldsMetro | Visual Studio Express and the Windows 8 SDK + extra tools and SDK’s for Metro style app development. |
| Metro style app samples | http://bitly.com/MetroSmpls | Over 200 official samples from Microsoft are available in multiple programming languages. You can copy code inline, upload new code, rate, and leave comments. |
| Developer forums | http://bitly.com/MetroForums | Developer forums for Metro style apps covering designing, developing, and selling apps. |
Blogs for developers
| Blog Name | URL | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Building Windows 8 blog (B8) | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/ | An inside look at how, what, and why different features of Windows 8 are being built. This blog is written by Windows President Steven Sinofsky together with members of the Windows engineering team. |
| Windows Store blog for developers | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore | All about doing business in the Windows Store. Members of the engineering team who’ve built the Windows Store write posts along with Antoine Leblond, Vice President of Windows Web Services. |
| Windows 8 app developer blog (D8) | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsappdev | Explores best practices for coding and designing Metro style apps. It is written by the team of developers who are building Windows 8. |
| IE blog | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/ | Windows Internet Explorer Engineering Team Blog. |
| Inside Windows Live blog | http://windowsteamblog.com/ windows_live/b/windowslive/ | The engineering being Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive, and Windows Live. |
| Visual Studio Blog | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/ | The official source of product insight from the Visual Studio Engineering Team. |
| The Windows Blog | http://windowsteamblog.com/ | Consumer and general interest topics. |