Developer Tools
Source Control Howtos:
Installing Git : http://git-scm.com/book/en/Getting-Started-Installing-Git
Git GUIs:
http://code.google.com/p/tortoisegit/ (Windows)
Local Development
Local development of WordPress has come a long way from the days of MAMP / WAMP. If you are comfortable using those tools, great! If on the other hand you are starting from scratch, I recommend taking a look at a few tools that have become popular, and in the case of VVV are geared specifically for WordPress development from the start:
- Virtualbox (The Virtual Machine)
- Vagrant (Tool to set up the Virtual Machine)
- VVV (WordPress Specific instructions for Vagrant)