What you need for this book

You need a good spec machine with Windows 8.1 installed as a starting point. A premium version of Visual Studio 2013 is ideal but not necessary as multiple versions of Visual Studio Express (which are free) can be used instead. You will sign up for a Microsoft Azure subscription at the start of the book if you have not already got one; there are various paid options, but a free 3-month trial is available. To work on Windows Store applications, a Store account is needed, which is covered in Chapter 11, Integrating a Mobile Application Using Mobile Services.