Chapter 1. Taking the Metro with Windows Phone

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER

  • How Windows Phone has changed Microsoft's approach to the mobile industry

  • What the Metro Design Language is and how it came about

  • An overview of the Start and Lock Screens and how they help users access information on the phone

  • Why the use of Hubs creates a more connected user experience

  • What it means to be a Windows Phone developer

Microsoft has been building mobile devices for well over 10 years, starting with a variety of Windows CE-based devices, such as the Handheld PC and the Palm-size PC, first released in 1996. Beginning around 2000, these disparate operating systems began converging into what became Windows Mobile, based on the principle of delivering a PC to your pocket. New features were predominately driven by enterprise needs such as device management and security. This eventually worked to the detriment of the platform as it didn't appeal to the average consumer. Devices were more robust than sexy, and the user interface mirrored that of the desktop, even having a Start menu, rather than providing an experience.

Note

Throughout this chapter, and in other parts of this book, there will be references to both Windows Mobile and Windows Phone. This is intentional, and they are not the same thing. Windows Mobile refers to the previous mobile operating system from Microsoft that at the time of writing is Windows Mobile 6.5.3. Windows Phone refers to Microsoft's latest offering in the mobile space and starts with ...

Get Professional Windows® Phone 7 Application Development: Building Applications and Games Using Visual Studio, Silverlight®, and XNA® now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.