What is the difference between Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows and Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop? [closed]
A comparison between the different Visual Studio Express editions can be found at Visual Studio Express (archive.org link). The difference between Windows and Windows Desktop is that with the Windows edition you can build Windows Store Apps (using .NET, WPF/XAML) while the Windows Desktop edition allows you to write classic Windows Desktop applications. It is possible to install both products on the same machine.
Visual Studio Express 2010 allows you to build Windows Desktop applications. Writing Windows Store applications is not possible with this product.
For learning I would suggest Notepad and the command line. While an IDE provides significant productivity enhancements to professionals, it can be intimidating to a beginner. If you want to use an IDE nevertheless I would recommend Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop.
Update 2015-07-27: In addition to the Express Editions, Microsoft now offers Community Editions. These are still free for individual developers, open source contributors, and small teams. There are no Web, Windows, and Windows Desktop releases anymore either; the Community Edition can be used to develop any app type. In addition, the Community Edition does support (3rd party) Add-ins. The Community Edition offers the same functionality as the commercial Professional Edition.
Visual Studio for Windows Apps is meant to be used to build Windows Store Apps using HTML & Javascript or WinRT and XAML. These can also run on the Windows tablet that run Windows RT.
Visual Studio for Windows Desktop is meant to build applications using Windows Forms or Windows Presentation Foundation, these can run on Windows 8.1 on a normal desktop or on a tablet device like the Surface Pro in desktop mode (like a classic windows application).
More importantly, the 2013 versions of Visual Studio Express have all the languages that comes with the commercial versions. You can use the Windows desktop versions not only to program using Windows Forms, it is possible to write those windowed applications with any language that comes with the software, may it be C++ using the windows.h header if you want to actually learn how to create windows applications from scratch, or use Windows form to create windows in C# or visual Basic.
In the past, you had to download one version for each language or type of content. Or just download an all-in-one that still installed separate versions of the software for different languages. Now with 2013 you get all the languages needed in each content oriented version of the 2013 express.
You pick what matters the most to you.
Besides, it might be a good way to learn using notepad and the command line to write and compile, but I find that a bit tedious to use. While using an IDE might be overwhelming at first, you start small, learning how to create a project, write code, compile your code. They have gone way over their heads to ease up your day when you take it for the first time.