Question

Is there any mechanism to identify a device uniquely (even if it is anonymous)?

To be clear, by “device” I mean the computer/slate/pc.

Windows 8.x

http://codepaste.net/ybt893

string HardwareId()
{
    var token = Windows.System.Profile.HardwareIdentification.GetPackageSpecificToken(null);
    var hardwareId = token.Id;
    var dataReader = Windows.Storage.Streams.DataReader.FromBuffer(hardwareId);
    var bytes = new byte[hardwareId.Length];
    dataReader.ReadBytes(bytes);
    return BitConverter.ToString(bytes);
}

Windows 10

You must add the Mobile and/or Desktop extension SDK.

string HardwareId()
{
    var token = HardwareIdentification.GetPackageSpecificToken(null);
    var hardwareId = token.Id;
    var dataReader = Windows.Storage.Streams.DataReader.FromBuffer(hardwareId);
    var bytes = new byte[hardwareId.Length];
    dataReader.ReadBytes(bytes);
    return BitConverter.ToString(bytes);
}

Answer 1

Such an ability has just been added in Windows 8 RTM:

Windows.System.Profile.HardwareIdentification.GetPackageSpecificToken(null)