WPF Programmer's Reference By Rod Stephens

WIndoWs PresentatIon FoundatIon (WPF)  is Microsoft’s next evolutionary step in user interface 
(UI) development. While WPF lets you drop controls on forms just as developers have been doing 
for years, WPF provides a quantum leap beyond what is possible using Windows Forms. WPF lets 
you use a consistent development model to build applications that run in more environments, on 
more hardware, using more graphical tools, and providing a more engaging visual experience than is 
normally possible with Windows Forms.

WPF lets you build stand-alone desktop applications that run as executable on a Windows system. WPF 
can also build simple web pages, compiled applications that run within a web browser, or Silverlight 
applications that run in a browser with enhanced security. By using these browser techniques, you can 
build applications that run just about anywhere, even on UNIX or Macintosh systems!
WPF allows you to build engaging interfaces that are responsive, interactive, and aesthetically 
pleasing. WPF interfaces can include static documents or documents that rearrange their content as 
needed, two- and three-dimensional graphics, high-resolution vector graphics that draw lines and 
curves instead of using bitmaps, animation, audio, and video.