You will need it, because since Windows Vista, most new APIs are COM based, as they redid Longhorn ideas in C++ instead of .NET, and WinRT also builds upon it.

You will need it, because since Windows Vista, most new APIs are COM based, as they redid Longhorn ideas in C++ instead of .NET, and WinRT also builds upon it. Classical Win32 C API surface, with some exceptions, is mostly stuck in Windows XP view of the world.