Yesterday, we had a live chat on our Facebook page (Microsoft Student Experience) with Microsoft Developer Evangelist, Jeremy Foster. Thanks for participating and asking questions about developing Windows Store apps with Windows 8. Be sure to go through the conversation that we have recapped below and don’t forget to check out the Windows 8 Getting Started Guide and start developing apps today! From Jeremy: If you are learning Windows 8 development... especially with HTML/JS... you should go to http://www.codefoster.com and follow me on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/codefoster).
Register today for WOWZAPP 2012 for hands on experience all around the world. This weekend (Nov. 9-11) a Worldwide Hackathon for Windows will take place in more than 100 locations, where students will work in teams to create apps for the Windows ecosystem. 
Jeremy - tell us a little bit about your job at Microsoft and your background? Hey. I live in Seattle, WA, and I work as a Developer Evangelist at Microsoft. I have taught high school and done a lot of software development in the past.
How can an Algerian student become a Microsoft Student? Check out the Microsoft Student Partner program here: http://bit.ly/TtqW4a. Good luck!
Is there a way that my apps can be changed depending on the color of Windows that the user has chosen? In Windows 8, the app doesn't follow the users Windows color theme by default.If you look at dev.windows.com, though you can look at how to find out a lot about the user. I believe theme color is available.
Can you tell me when we publish apps - content checking takes 7 days…what goes on during those 7 days? A lot happens, but essentially they make sure your app is fit for the store. Microsoft wants to make sure it's complete and doesn't error or crash and that it's not malware.
Please tell the programming languages that are used to create Windows apps. Tell all the languages that are used. You can use HTML and JavaScript, XAML and .NET, or XAML and C++.
Hi Jeremy, what kind of position would you recommend pursuing at Microsoft for an IT major looking for a people oriented position? Does your job involve much human interaction? Thanks for the chat session and go Microsoft! My role involves LOTS of human interaction. I am a DEVELOPER evangelist, but there's a position called an IT PRO evangelist too that might fit you better given your experience with IT.
Do you know if there are any plans for Microsoft to add the ability to rent software on a month to month basis easily? A lot of Microsoft's software is "service based" which is similar to rental. Is that what you're thinking of? Also, students have access to DreamSpark which provides access to professional developer tools at no charge for students.
I think the small biz I am aiming at just can't shell out big $$ for software, but a small fee on a monthly basis almost a no brainier? I see what you mean. Currently, you can't sell your app in the Microsoft Store on a subscription basis. You can use the in-app purchase on and sell things on a regular basis, but that's as close as it gets so far.
How many apps have you created, Jeremy? I'm working on my first Store app. It's called codeSHOW. You can find the source code at codeshow.codeplex.com. It's made to help people learn Windows 8 development (using HTML/JS).
Hey Jeremy, how did you initially get to where you are now? Did you set out to get into software development or did you just happen to find yourself there one day? I set out for sure. I studied Computer Engineering in school and then I just did a lot of development. I saw a certain position at Microsoft that I wanted (Developer Evangelist) and I worked toward what I needed to get there (presentation skills and development skills).
I am interested in a career as a computer research scientist, how can I use application development as a plus point to my career plan? The more you know about app dev, the better research scientist you'll be. I have a friend that is in research and does a ton of development.Researchers are just developing software constantly. Computes help us create and test scenarios, model physical systems, crunch massive numeric systems, and tons more. You should think about what area of research you are interested in and get involved in development for that area specifically.
Could you also suggest if working as a Software Developer prior to a Masters course in Artificial Intelligence would be a wise decision? Or could you suggest some other job positions that would be a good idea? I would recommend you get all of your school out of the way. If you don't then you might not go back to it. Especially since it's a rather demanding area.
Jeremy - What advice do you have for students who want to develop Windows Store apps for the first time? Install Windows 8, get signed up with DreamSpark, download Visual Studio 2012 Express, and just go to town. There's lots of help available online. If you go tohttp://www.stackoverflow.com and ask a development question you'll usually get an answer very quickly.
Jeremy - another question for you...What are your favorite Windows Store apps? I like Netflix, I love OneNote (the Windows Store version) for taking notes, and I use MetroTwit a lot. Cocktail Flow is awesome!
How can I make money by publishing my apps on Windows apps store? Start with a really good app idea and then focus on user experience. The apps that sell are the apps that people LOVE using. If you don't do graphics then get a designer friend or hire someone to help you with it. Do some user experience testing too.
Jeremy - can you tell us about the Windows Store app submission process and share some tips for students? App submission is pretty great actually. I'm going through it now. There are tools to test your own app and there is a lot of good information in your dashboard about the process and progress.Remember you can get a free store account as a student by going to http://bit.ly/Re0k9x
Why develop in HTML/JS, I mean, what are the 'benefits' over C#/XAML? Great question. I use HTML/JS and I use it because a) I love how dynamic JS is b) I have a lot of history with HTML/JS and c) there are tons of JS libraries online that have already been written and that you can just plug right into your app
In your opinion, is Windows 8 Apps experience would be suitable for Pc users?And how can one design an app suitable for PC and Tablet in the same time? I think the same app can work for PC and tablet in most cases.
Can we use c and java for to develop apps? I love C# too, but I'm just having a blast with HTML/JS right now.You can develop cloud apps in Azure using Java, and you can create Java apps that run in desktop mode on Windows 8, but you can't create Windows Store apps based on Java or C.
So how would I go about porting an XNA game to a Windows 8 app? The best option in my opinion is going through MonoGame. It's a pretty impressive framework!
I am having issues testing in-app purchases when using CurrentAppSimulator. Where can I get help to troubleshoot it? I would post a question on the Dev Center forums (dev.windows.com) and at Stack Overflow. You can post some of your code too and people usually get back to you rather quickly.
How did you get job in Microsoft? How do I get job in Microsoft? I went to an event and competed in a hackathon for Windows Phone. I did my presentation and then talked to a manager that was there and then I submitted my resume and went through the interview process and got hired. Be sure to check out the Dev Camps website for local dev events:http://www.devcamps.ms/. We have events all year round all over the world. Just Bing "Microsoft worldwide events" and you should find some good stuff.
Jeremy - can you talk about the process for porting a Windows Phone app to Windows 8? How complicated is it? How does it work? Porting Windows Phone apps to Windows 8 is not so difficult since both of them can use XAML and C#. It depends on the architecture of your phone app though, and you do have to do a significant design process since the two platforms are so different in form factor.
Jeremy - For application updates from the web, can I use my SkyDrive for routine update of data in a user app? Can you suggest a better method? I would suggest you use blob storage in Azure instead of your SkyDrive, but either would technically work and both of them have great API's.To be more specific, I would extend your app data updates through a web service too so your app doesn't have to be directly tied to the blob storage.
How can an app be made sensitive to surroundings/movements? Just go to dev.windows.com and search for Windows.Devices.Sensors.LightSensor and you'll find tons of info on that.
I’m not familiar with 'blob storage'. Could you describe it and how it works if? You can find all the info you need at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/how-to-guides/blob-storage/
I would like to know about Windows 8 jobs for students? I think your best job would be in making an app. There's a lot of money to be made in the Windows Store!
Was the chat with Jeremy helpful to you? Share your key takeaways in the comments below.