Can we start developing applications for the upcoming Windows 7 mobile phones? Are developer tools available? Do we need to buy a visual studio program for this?
The first link is to download development tools for Windows phones, including Visual Studio 2010 Express, and the second is for development for Windows phones.
EDIT I changed the links to the beta tool link for Windows developers.
http://developer.windowsphone.com/windows-phone-7/
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c8496c2a-54d9-4b11-9491-a1bfaf32f2e3&displaylang=en
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402535(VS.92).aspx
Hope this helps.
Yes. Yes. Not.
general informationhttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/default.mspxhttp://developer.windowsphone.com/http://windowsteamblog.com/Windows_Phone/
Articleshttp://www.codeproject.com/KB/windows/WindowsPhoneGame.aspxhttp://www.codeproject.com/KB/silverlight/Wp7ViewModel.aspx
Bookshttp://www.charlespetzold.com/phone/index.html - FREE!
Podcastshttp://www.dotnetrocks.com/default.aspx?showNum=539http://www.dotnetrocks.com/default.aspx?showNum=542http://www.hanselminutes.com/default.aspx?showID=224http://www.hanselminutes.com/default.aspx?showID=225
Videohttp://www.dnrtv.com/default.aspx?showNum=172http://live.visitmix.com/Sessions/Tags/WindowsPhonehttp://channel9.msdn.com/tags/WP7/
Toolshttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c8496c2a-54d9-4b11-9491-a1bfaf32f2e3&displaylang=en
A blog called "Windows Phone 7 Launch Timing Developer Roadmap" from the official Windows Phone Developer Blog provides great information. If you are a student, you can develop and deploy applications for free on the Marketplace Marketplace through www.dreamspark.com. This is an initiative of the Microsoft Student Program.
Visual Studio Express is free: Visual Studio 2010 Express
It should be noted that you should use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone 7, and not the Visual Studio 2010 add-in. There are problems with the add-in, not least because of which there is no way to add a service link to the Windows Phone application project.
http://developer.windowsphone.com is a good place to get started.
The latest update for CTP was in April. Expect some things to change before RTM.
Also released is Windows Phone 7 Mango RC. You can start developing applications. If you have an account in the Windows Phone App Hub developer community, you will receive an update for Mango in your email account registered with the App Hub account.