[pikzen]

>'Pretty' Windows apps, in particular, are a royal pain to create. Unless, maybe, if you target Metro.

1. Learn how to work with XAML

(1.5. Know how to make good looking UIs)

2. Done.

Really. If you're forcing yourself to use WinForms, you're doing yourself a disservice. Any Windows Dev that wants to push out good looking application should learn how to use XAML. You can even ignore the databinding part if you want.

That said, TextNut looks an awful lot like OneNote UI wise.

I believe the major problem comes from the fact that most people developing for Windows are either doing it for free or for internal tools. There are very few tools that fit Apple's market of consumer focused applications, and the financial incentive clearly isn't there on Windows.

[outworlder]

Perhaps one should try to create the same application on both platforms. I get a feeling that XAML (and WPF) are not a silver bullet and can't make up for deficiencies in other areas. Such as typography.

But my WPF knowledge is limited, so I'll try to keep an open mind and research more when I have the time.