I’m building a tablet application with basic browser-like functionality (mostly, view a pre-defined selection of Web pages and PDFs). For various reasons (such as the need to run another traditional Windows application on the same device), it needs to run on Windows, so designing it for a modern tablet platform like iOS or Android is out of the question. At the same time, it’s too soon for Windows 8 / Metro.
Nonetheless,
- running traditional (desktop-like) Windows applications on the tablet is unappealing; at the very least, I need far bigger and simpler controls.
- I’d like to design it more or less with the upcoming Windows 8 in mind, ideally so that a future Metro style-based version of the same app won’t feel too foreign to the user, and ideally also won’t require too much of a code redesign.
Coming from either a .NET or Web background, what’s the best framework, thinking forward, to use here? WPF (or even Windows Forms?), Silverlight or HTML?
And, UI-wise, is there a set of controls (or, in the case of HTML, a stylesheet / set of scripts) that mimic or approach Metro style? I assume that, for copyright reasons, I can’t simply use those from Windows 8 in Windows 7.
What i advise you is to choose WPF. Or if WPF isn’t your priority choose any XAML interface based technology. If you are trying to built a lightweight application that can even run in Windows8 you can choose silver-light (browser based application). XAML based technology will be better because Windows 8 Metro style supports XAML
I don’t think it would be problem of copyrights, but just in case don’t exactly copy the interface, try to built something that resembles in such a way that user won’t feel much difference in terms of use when he shifts himself to windows 8 version