Learn about Microsoft Surface technical resources

Microsoft Surface is a new product and a new platform, and there are multiple resources that describe the various aspects of Surface. If you are new to Surface, start by visiting the following:

* What is Microsoft Surface?

* Getting Started in the Surface section of the TechNet Library

* Microsoft Surface Support is available on MSDN and TechNet

* Microsoft Surface Design and Development Training

For Developers

If you want to start developing, the following resources can help you set up your development environment and develop your first, basic Surface application.

* Surface SDK

This package includes the Microsoft Surface SDK 1.0 SP1 Workstation Edition installation file and documentation. The Surface SDK includes the APIs, documentation, and tools to help you develop Surface touch-enabled applications on your workstation. Before you download the Surface SDK, make sure you read the Setting Up a Development Environment article to learn about the hardware and software requirements for developing Surface applications on a workstation.

* Surface SDK Documentation in the MSDN Library

This documentation provides the latest information about how you can develop and design applications for the Surface software platform, including control-specific design guidelines, quick starts for creating WPF and XNA applications, How Do I...? examples that explain common Surface programming tasks, and sample applications that demonstrate multiple Surface programming techniques in a complete application.

* Related Technologies and Resources

This page describes tools and technologies that you might want to learn more about as you develop Surface applications, including Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), XNA, and Expression Blend.

* Microsoft Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch Beta (NEW)

This beta package includes the advanced Microsoft Surface controls, templates, and samples to easily create applications that are optimized for multi-touch interaction and that run on Windows Touch PCs. With the .NET Framework 4.0, Windows Presentation Framework 4.0 (WPF), and this toolkit, Windows Touch developers can quickly and consistently create advanced multi-touch applications for Windows Touch PCs. This toolkit also provides a jump-start for Surface application developers to prepare for the next version of Microsoft Surface.

For Designers

Microsoft Surface presents some unique design challenges. To help you understand and solve these challenges, read the Microsoft Surface User Experience Guidelines. These guidelines are intended for designers, program managers, and developers of Surface applications to inform you about requirements and recommendations for designing great Surface applications.

* Microsoft Surface User Experience Guidelines

For IT Professionals

If you are managing one or more Surface units in a venue, you will need to understand the core administration tasks that you can perform with a Surface unit, including planning, configuring and deploying, monitoring, and troubleshooting. To learn about how to perform these tasks, see the following resource:

* Microsoft Surface section of the TechNet Library

This section also includes tools to help you administer Surface units and answers some frequently asked questions about the Surface hardware and software.