Beginning Windows 8 Application Development

Chapter 12

Leveraging Tablet Features

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER:

• Understanding how tablets are different from traditional desktop or laptop PCs
• Incorporating location, movement, and device attitude data into your apps
• Using Windows Runtime APIs to enhance the user experience with sensory input

WROX.COM CODE DOWNLOADS FOR THIS CHAPTER

You can find the wrox.com code downloads for this chapter on the Download Code tab at www.wrox.com/remtitle.cgi?isbn=012680. The code is in the Chapter12.zip download and individually named, as described in the corresponding exercises.

Computers running a Windows operating system are traditionally desktop or laptop devices equipped with a mouse and a keyboard. Because of this, every application written to run on Windows was optimized for these kinds of input devices.

Now, Windows opens up for the tablet form factor, too, bringing many new users — your potential customers — to the scene. But they’ll expect more from a tablet application in terms of input than mere support for the touchscreen. Tablet users usually hold their devices in their hands while using them. By means described in this chapter, you can use the device’s attitude and movement information to create more engaging apps that respond to changes in these properties, and even let the users control the apps by moving the tablet.

Also in this chapter, you learn how to access and use the location information provided by a tablet device. Tablets are often equipped with a Global ...