All developers interested in building apps for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update can now download the software-development kit now that it is generally available, Microsoft announced Tuesday.
First announced earlier this year at Microsoft Build, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update brings new some features to Microsoft’s Mixed Reality experience as well as a new design language called Fluent Design, and developers interested in creating apps for the latest version of Windows 10 will have to update their code to account for the new features. The actual operating system will be released to Windows users next week.
Developers working on Windows apps for corporate users can also now take advantage of a new deployment service, which allows developers to provision their apps much more quickly by allowing users to start working with those apps before all the various components have been fully downloaded. Developers can also ensure that users only have to download the new portion of an app upon an update, rather than having to re-download the entire app to incorporate a minor update.
Microsoft also confirmed that it is changing the name of the Windows Store — the central hub for Windows apps — to the Microsoft Store, which is the same name it uses for its network of retail stores. It’s another sign that Microsoft is moving away from a branding strategy that put Windows above everything else, which makes sense as it sells apps across Xboxes and Mixed Reality devices.
(Editor’s note: This post was updated to include details about the Microsoft Store.)
