Harry Pierson [MSFT]

FYI, links to all the sample code - including the NorthwindRT demo from the keynote - are up on my blog: http://devhawk.net/2014/04/04/enterprise-winrt-apps-build-roundup/

Sorry, I don't know anything about XAML or UI development. I'd suggest checking out the Desktop Development Panel talk: https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-563

@ArmandoMeabe Give it a try - I've been dogfooding Win8 since before the //build conference and I love the new start menu and the full screen Metro apps. You get used to the new normal very quickly. Win8 Release Preview coming first week of June: https://twitter.com/#!/BuildWindows8/status/194627936115101696

ArmandoMeabe, AFAIK you need Win8 to build WinRT components. That may be why you're not seeing C++/CX options on your machine

Glad you liked it @lapp!

@SteveK, I just double checked w/ the CLR team on your question. Yes you can build a managed WinRT component that uses p/invoke to access Win32 APIs that are allowable from Metro style apps. The .NET profile for Metro style apps includes DllImporet, MarshalAs, etc.

as for your 3rd party supplier, so long as that DLL works w/ the Metro .NET profile, then yes your scenario will work. Only the public surface area of your component has to conform to the WinRT type system. Other assemblies you reference aren't part of that surface area by default.

I would think that is a common scenario - build a managed DLL component as a portable assemblies that can be used in Windows, Windows Phone, maybe even Xbox and then build a WinRT wrapper around it so the component is available to JS and C++ as well.

I blogged a walkthru of the first coding demo here: http://devhawk.net/2011/09/15/using-winrt-from-csharp-build-demo/.

@DanSorensen:Glad you liked it! Jesse and I have been working closely for the past 18 months, so it was great to finally get to show the world what we've been doing!

@SleepyDaddySoftware: Great feedback. Would you mind making a post over on the WIn8 forums (http://forums.dev.windows.com) or on https://connect.microsoft.com/? I want to make sure your feedback gets routed to the right team.

@Casey:I'm not an expert on INotifyPropertyChanged. Would you mind asking your question on the "Building Metro style apps with C# or VB" forum? https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/winappswithcsharp/threads

@cbae:Yes, you can consume managed WinRT components from C# or VB.

@jarod:WinRT is only available on Windows 8. If you want to ship an app for 7 and 8, you'll need to abstract away the WinRT APIs you want to use.