Introduction
Ultrabook™ devices are widely known for their sleek aesthetic design and high-end look and feel. However, the real advantage of Ultrabooks stems from their hardware capabilities that most standard laptops lack. In addition to the standard features supported by laptops, Ultrabooks are packed with features like touch screen, GPS, Accelerometer, Orientation Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, NFC, and other sensors. Today, consumers have a myriad of choices for personal computing devices ranging from desktop computers, laptops, tablets, etc. Most consumers still utilize desktops or laptops as their primary computers to run complex software applications and for data storage. With the availability of smart third-party applications and multitasking, extremely portable tablets provide a great alternative to laptops. Even though tablets can handle some work-related or business-oriented tasks, they still cannot replace laptops.
Convertible Ultrabooks bring the convergence consumers desire in a single device that functions both as a tablet and a laptop computer. They combine the capabilities of a PC with the ease-of-use and convenience of a tablet. OEMs are being very creative when designing convertible Ultrabooks. Some convertible designs feature a detachable keyboard, which when detached, allows the monitor to be used as a stand-alone tablet. Other convertible designs feature monitors that slide or flip to switch between tablet and laptop modes.
Convertible Ultrabooks running Windows 8 provide a powerful combination for a convergent device. Intel hardware running Windows 8 allows users to run both desktop and Windows Store (formerly known as Metro-style) apps. Microsoft’s new Win RT APIs provide the means for developers to create Windows Store applications on Windows 8. Additionally, some Win RT APIs can also be leveraged to develop desktop applications on Windows 8. This means developers can easily port their legacy Windows applications to Windows 8 desktop applications.
This series of articles dissect a simple Ultrabook photo application. The application showcases one way developers can utilize the unique Ultrabook features, like touch screen, GPS, Ambient Light, Orientation and Power-related sensors, to create smart and dynamic applications. The code snippets and source code provide pointers for developers seeking to port their legacy Windows applications on to Windows 8. The article also demonstrates how to access unmanaged code based on Win 32 APIs from the managed code on Windows 8.
Photo Application for Ultrabook
This is a simple Windows 8 application that allows users to take pictures, view pictures, geo-tag the pictures, etc. The application supports both touch and mouse/keyboard inputs delivering a good user experience in both tablet and laptop mode.
The articles below will walk you through the different aspects of application development for Ultrabook devices using code snippets from the photo application. The first section provides instructions on user interface design considerations to develop applications that are fluid and touch enabled. You will also learn how to include touch gestures like Flick, Swipe, Pinch and Zoom.
Adding Touch Support to Desktop Applications for UltrabookTM running on Windows* 8
User Interface Guidelines for great User Experience
The articles in this section will walk you through code snippets that will help you understand implementation details for power awareness, context awareness and using sensors from within your application. Click through the article of interest to learn more:
Developing Power Efficient Desktop Applications for UltrabookTM on Windows* 8
Enabling the Accelerometer Sensor in Desktop Applications for Ultrabook on Windows* 8
Enabling the Orientation Sensor in Desktop Applications for UltrabookTM on Windows* 8
Enabling the Ambient Light Sensor(ALS) in Desktop Applications for UltrabookTM on Windows* 8
Since this application is created for illustrative purposes, it also has an information panel that displays data from several sensors such as ambient light, orientation, power level, brightness, etc.
Related Articles
Notices
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHT OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT.
UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED IN WRITING BY INTEL, THE INTEL PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED NOR INTENDED FOR ANY APPLICATION IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE INTEL PRODUCT COULD CREATE A SITUATION WHERE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH MAY OCCUR.
Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice. Designers must not rely on the absence or characteristics of any features or instructions marked "reserved" or "undefined." Intel reserves these for future definition and shall have no responsibility whatsoever for conflicts or incompatibilities arising from future changes to them. The information here is subject to change without notice. Do not finalize a design with this information.
The products described in this document may contain design defects or errors known as errata which may cause the product to deviate from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request.
Contact your local Intel sales office or your distributor to obtain the latest specifications and before placing your product order.
Copies of documents which have an order number and are referenced in this document, or other Intel literature, may be obtained by calling 1-800-548-4725, or go to: http://www.intel.com/design/literature.htm
Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations, and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products.
Any software source code reprinted in this document is furnished under a software license and may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of that license.
Intel, Ultrabook, and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the US and/or other countries.
Copyright © 2012 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
