Windows programming: where to start?

Question

I'm a long time Mac user, with a fair bit of programming experience and I wanted to try programming for windows. The thing is I don't know where to start, what should I learn first ? .Net, Win32 ?

[Clarification]: My ultimate goal would be to create a more or less complex application using the latest APIs however I like to know the underpinning of what I'm dealling with.

Answer 1

Start with the Bible, Programming Windows 5th Edition. It is still very relevant.

http://www.charlespetzold.com/pw5/

You'll start doing C with Win32. Once you understand that you can also learn .NET. Though some people may tell you to skip Win32 and go straight to .NET. However, doing Win32, you will understand a great deal about how Windows actually works.

Answer 2

I'd be taking a look at getting a copy of one of the Visual Studio Express Editions and start there. It has all the tools you need to build windows / web applications on windows.

You could start at the win32 level however depending on what exactly you want to do, you may find you're able to do everything you need with .net and visual studio.