Microsoft Releases DirectX 9.0

[llbbl]

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced shipment of version 9.0 of the
Microsoft(R) DirectX(R) Software Development Kit. The release marks the first
public availability of Microsoft's powerful new high-level shader language

Microsoft DirectX is an advanced suite of multimedia APIs built into
Microsoft Windows(R) operating systems. It provides a standard platform that
enables software developers to access specialized hardware features without
having to write hardware-specific code. DirectX debuted in 1995 and quickly
became a recognized standard for multimedia application development on the
Windows platform.

Microsoft's revolutionary HLSL is a key component of this latest release.
HLSL is compatible with all DirectX-compliant graphics processing units and
allows developers to define a similar visual effect for the widest range of
graphics hardware. Based on the C programming language, HLSL is simple to use
and provides developers with more power than any other development platform
available today.

NOTE: Microsoft, DirectX and Windows are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.

For additional information on DirectX 9.0 and HLSL:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/ , http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/

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Bet ya wont find this on /. :D

[llbbl]

Highly Anticipated GeForce FX GPU and New API Combine to Deliver
Cinematic Computing

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing
solutions, today announced that the new NVIDIA(R) GeForce(TM) FX and NVIDIA
Quadro(R) graphics processing units (GPUs) are compatible and compliant with
the Microsoft(R) DirectX(R) 9.0 application programming interface (API).
DirectX 9.0, the latest version of Microsoft's suite of multimedia application
programming interfaces, offers advances in graphic technology that will make
it significantly easier for game developers to create 3D immersive titles.
When that content is played back on NVIDIA GeForce FX GPUs, the result will be
visually stunning 3D worlds and life-like characters.

"NVIDIA and Microsoft are striving for the common goal of enabling game
developers to create theater-quality, Hollywood-style cinematic effects for
desktop PC games and applications," said Dan Vivoli, vice president of
marketing at NVIDIA. "DirectX 9.0 API and the GeForce FX GPU combine to
create the most significant advancement in achieving that goal in almost a
decade."

"DirectX 9.0, the standard in development platforms, combined with hardware
technology of the GeForce FX reduces the workload for developers and
ultimately helps deliver cinematic-quality Windows-based games," said
Dean Lester, general manager of Windows Graphics and Gaming Technologies at
Microsoft Corporation. "Developers now have the ability to render stunning
visual effects within software applications by using DirectX 9.0 vertex shader
and pixel shaders in the GeForce FX."

Microsoft DirectX 9.0 is an advanced suite of multimedia APIs built
directly into Microsoft Windows operating systems. DirectX provides a
standard development platform for Windows-based PCs by enabling software
developers to create their newest, most innovative titles. NVIDIA's
Detonator(TM) software driver, the industry's only true Unified Driver
Architecture (UDA), will enable DirectX 9.0 compatibility for all NVIDIA GPUs.

Introduced at Fall Comdex 2002, the NVIDIA GeForce FX GPU is the industry's
first GPU to deliver real-time, cinematic quality graphics and special effects
on the desktop PC. Featuring the NVIDIA CineFX(TM) engine and support for
high-level programming languages, the GeForce FX GPU delivers visual effects
on par with the hottest motion pictures. Packing nearly twice the number of
transistors as previous NVIDIA GPUs, the GeForce FX GPU also utilizes the
industry's most advanced 0.13 micron manufacturing process and incorporates
support for the latest high-speed DDR2 memories, AGP 8X, and NVIDIA
Intellisample(TM) technology, enabling developers to create compelling content
of unrivaled beauty, running at unmatched speeds.