Next Year's Multimedia: Microsoft Releases DirectX 9.0 Catching Up With ATI's Graphics Cards Eric Grevstad
Mon 12/30/02 -- It's probably not a Must-Rush Download yet, but 3D game fans will definitely want to check out Microsoft's long-awaited release of DirectX 9.0, the latest set of multimedia application programming interfaces that let Windows programmers take advantage of the latest hardware features without having to write hardware-specific code.
No programs on the market at this time require DirectX 9.0, but several of the newest games -- as well as ATI's Radeon 9700 and 9500 series graphics cards, plus the Nvidia GeForce FX products due early in 2003 -- can take advantage of it. Microsoft's FAQ page says multiplayer online gaming is the most immediate beneficiary of DirectX 9.0, with both faster performance for players and easier configuration for network routers.
The new multimedia technology is compatible with Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP (Windows 95 support stops at DirectX 8.0a, and Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 at DirectX 3.0a).
