Desktop Applications

Since the early days of Microsoft Windows developers have been producing desktop applications using Windows Forms. These were displayed originally using a technology known as GDI, and in the last decade using GDI+ which provided extra functionality and features.

There are a number of constraints placed upon developers using this technology. But the design of GDI and GDI+ was a result of the hardware limitations at the time.

But now compuers are much faster than in previous years and usually have a lot more memory. Most new PCs and laptops are multi-core and the processors are very much more powerful than they were a few years ago.

To take advantage of this increased power, speed and memory, Microsoft introduced a new windows technology known as Windows Presentation Foundation, or WPF. It has been available for a few years now