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DirectX 10...and so it ends!

- Backward compatibly with DirectX 9,8,7 isn't really necessary

By: Silviu Stahie, Video and PC Games Editor

There are troubled times ahead. Through one bold move, Microsoft has decided that it will not support, the already too "old" DirectX 9, not to mention DirectX 8 or any

of the previous versions. But... it appears to be some logic hidden somewhere.

The new DirectX will not be named Windows Graphic Foundation (WGF) as it was planned and will remain at the old name, as in DirectX 10. It will be released with their brand new operating system Vista. This news API will be composed of new and faster dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and will run much faster (so they say).

Microsoft has decided that backward compatibly with DirectX 9,8,7 isn't really necessary as there will probably will be even less compatible with Vista.

Even so, dear Microsoft hasn't totally forgotten us. Some sort of "compatibility" will be available through a software layer (probably some emulation) which will have its price in system resources, as it will run much slower. The good news is that DirectX 10 will relieve some of the burden on the CPU.

And of course it will have support for the next generation of Pixel Shaders 4.0, although it will probably surface before even Vista's release due to the rapid development of graphic cards.

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DirectX 10...and so it ends! - USER OPINIONS

Comment #1 by ds1200 on 2005-09-06, 15:36 GMT

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Let's see, so far Microsoft failed to provide decent support for any technology that is currently in use (DirectX 9 and OpenGL). Hey, probably we all need to throw our old games and programs in trash (as well as graphic cards, computers) and buy brand new "Microsoft certified Vista products" for extra $$$. Nice move Microsoft, you are reinventing the wheel again, and we are suckers that will pay for that and fill your pockets once again.

Comment #2 by Hungryhaney on 2005-12-01, 08:08 GMT

reply to this comment

Or will we? With game consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 and all of Nintendo's offerings I think this will make more and more people switch. In the long run I see the PC gaming business taking one on the nose.

Reply #2.1 by Numbchuck on 2005-12-08, 03:37 GMT

Actually, since the PS3 and Xbox 360 use DirectX 9; which is obviously gonna be a lot slower and crapper than DX 10 because of all the backwards compatability junk stuffed in there, I think PC games are gonna start to become much more popular.
Anyway when you start to playing DX 10 games your not gonna wanna play the rubbish you think is great today. Its about time for microsoft to make a step forward.

Comment #3 by Applemacmad on 2006-04-27, 15:49 GMT

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At this rate, Vista is going to be a flop. All it is XP with some pretty pictures and Mac coppied features. DX9 is nothing compared to Quartz 2D, and with Apple almost finished Quartz 2D Extreme, DX10 doesn't stand a chance. Does DX10 even support hardware rendering? (quartz 2D extreme does!)Also the fact that 60% of Vista has to be re-written. I read an article a few years ago about Tiger vs Longhorn. It said that they were due to come out at the same time. Tiger has been out for ages, and VIsta is still ages off! At this rate, Leopard will make it before Vista!
Do the right thing - switch to Mac!

Reply #3.1 by Hitman Justin on 2006-07-30, 18:07 GMT
Im sorry but I dont think you have any Idea what your talking about. Quartz 2D? thats 2D, DX10 is 3D. so how is quartz better? hardware rendering? have you been living under a rock? DX6 supported hardware rendering.. and switch to mac? what Macs suck horribly for gaming, just shutup and do sum research before you open your mouth

Comment #4 by tinytimrob on 2006-08-19, 03:47 GMT

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Why do you need to buy new products? If you want to use your old ones, set up a multiboot with Windows XP. That way you can run all your old games and software as well, and at the moment XP supports all the same hardware so doing a multiboot would be easy - unless you have an old computer with a tiny hard drive, at which point your computer probably isn't powerful enough to run Vista at any decent speed anyway.

If anyone reading this doesn't know how to multiboot, you just split your hard drive into two partitions and install XP on one, and Vista on the other. Each version of Windows needs seperate installations of each program that you need on both versions (such as Microsoft Office and your anti-virus program) but games you only need to install once, so it will probably end up using around 10-15GB extra on your computer (this is nothing on newer computers). Easy.

Comment #5 by hafeez0072000 on 2006-12-07, 11:00 GMT

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456456456467987776513213456498789421354654897984564654789

Comment #6 by kapitalx on 2007-01-16, 02:10 GMT

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I think its great that microsoft has decided to redesign the the entire thing from scratch.. no more messy hacks and NULL's everywhere.

here is user made site on directx 10, check it out. http://www.dxten.com, there is a list of hardware supported, and tutorials, etc.

Comment #7 by sarginnv on 2007-03-12, 07:35 GMT

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google.com

Comment #8 by Lizzy on 2008-05-11, 04:03 GMT

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well ever since i bought a notebook for myself, so i did not have to share with all the other people in my house... it is nothing but trouble. It is also running on windows vista. And oke i don't understand everything i must confess, but my notebook returned for the 5th time from the factory. And is still not working well, now i have to install a program such as DirectX 10 but i'm way to scared that my notebook will fail again. So anyone... is this program compatible with windows vista and a simple intel celeron M inside?

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