This download provides the DirectX 9.0c end-user package that devs can include with their product.
DirectX 9.0c Redistributable for Software Developers
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Why not 9.1 or 9.2 ? I mean, Shaders version changes from 2.0 to 3.0 are enough so you need a GF6800 instead of a GF-FX to be spec compliant. The version of DirectX 10 will come with Longhorn, is it that OS so far in the future that they are saving version numbers for the whole DirectX 9.x family?
This remembers me the not-so-pleasant experience with VSS 6.0a … 6.0d.
You might as well ask why MS always releases update to their software as Service Packs, instead of f.e. calling Win XP SP 1 just simply Windows 5.1.1.
I think they work on the premise that with a new DX number its basically time to retire your 3rd from the top card and buy that shiny new one.
Can anyone remember the major changes from DX 8 to DX 8.1? Wasn’t there quite a few changes with DirectShow, Sound and graphics changes? Maybe they decided internally that one change that most people wont utilise for the next 2 years didn’t warrant a .1 …
I believe many of the stuff now available via 9c was intended to be here way earlier, at the time when 9.0 was released. Only, there were so many if-and-how’s because the hardware wasn’t ready as targeted at that time – maybe even MS themselves. So 9c is only serving what was meant to be there in the first place.
May be it is true, but then you should be working with Windows 95z instead of Windows XP (a second though, may be WinXP standans for Windows 4.0xp .. lol)
I think the reason for the “c” release as opposed to a .1, .2, etc… is because MS is working on a complete replacement for DirectX. They are not putting a lot of effort into upgrading it.
TenaciousOne: do you have any web pages to point me out about this. i am really interested about what ms is planning for a dx replacement.
Working on something new? AFAIK, DirectX 10 is the API coming with Longhorn, but I haven’t read if it is evolutionary or revolutionary: Managed DirectX is already available for .NET, Aero/Avalon I think will be a top layer of Direct3D as well as the whole 3D markup language thing (don’t remeber if it is part of Avalon or not, but since it is XML it will surely use at least Avalon/Direct3D) ….
So I should say as Matthew that I would like to know if you have any URL/info confirming such affirmation ….
Avalon is a high-level abstraction of DirectX for use in “client” applications; ie, you need to do some simple 3d projections, or you’re making a 3d RPG Exile (www.spidweb.com) style and don’t really need the whole she’bang of DirectX.
Aero is the much-touted, little seen user interface that is powered by Avalon. No, the Longhorn PDC screenshots do not count; that’s just a place-holder user interface. I think the offical codename is ‘Aero Glass’ or something. They’re being neurotic and won’t let people have any screenshots of it, last I checked.
No 3d mark-up; its called XAML, and its Avalon’s general purpose XML-based user interface declarcative thing. If you can do it in Avalon, you can access it through XAML.
No, they’re not replacing DirectX.
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/longhorn_aero.asp
does anyone know what pc case is this on the picture
http://www.winsupersite.com/images/showcase/lh-winhec-03.png
/offtopic
Yes, you are right! But MS has been looking to replace DX for years. At one point they wanted to buy SGI, but for some reason they didn’t. Then they got one of SGI’s top executives, but he didn’t stay with MS for very long. MS wanted to integrate a 3D desktop into Windows desktop at least 6 years ago. They had a teaming agreement with SGI but that fell apart.
Avalon sounds like the implementation of that dream, and Aero Glass maybe the “new” DirectX API for client apps (just like GDI+)
I believe that’s a Dell…. dude.
I had to say it.
Aaron
Excerpt:
The XNA development platform will serve as the foundation for future game platforms from Microsoft, including Windows, Xbox and Windows Mobile-based devices.
See here for the full scoop:
http://www.microsoft.com/xna/
-magg
Thats a pretty badass computer, it has 80GHz RAM, with a 20GB1 Ultra ATA Hard Drive. *rolling eyes*
And it does look like a Dell with the brand removed.
DirectX is part of XNA. DirectX is NOT being replaced.
Q: What tools do developers get with XNA?
A: XNA tools will include DirectX and the High-Level Shader Language (HLSL), XACT, PIX and the Xaudio API, in addition to other development tools such as Visual Studio.
<a href = “http://www.microsoft.com/xna/faq.aspx“>XNA FAQ
The venture with SGI was a project named Farenheit. They were supposed to work together in a new 3D API. SGI felt that MS was taking too much and giving too little from this project, so they finished the project.
The technology “developed” in this project was used by MS to develop DirectX 9 and DirectX 10.
Whooooa, now. Some of you guys gotta calm down a tad; do a little research.
XNA is not a replacement for DirectX; its a general purpose development enviroment that includes DirectX. Complimentary, as the chap a few comments above me just pointed out.
DirectX is not going anywhere. Microsoft has not been itching to replace DirectX (they have been itching to replace the raw Win32 API). Avalon simply wraps DirectX in a very high level way for simple 3d operations; you’re not going to make the next Quake killer using Avalon, you’re going to use DirectX, because you’ll want raw hardcore features in DirectX that are not exposed by Avalon.
Aero Glass is the new user interface. The Aero user interface system is seperated into tiers: Aero is the base “I’ve got a crappy computer” rig, and Aero Glass is the super top sekrat “You need 128MB of VRAM to churn this baby out” user interface that Microsoft refuses to show. Aero != Aero Glass.