From:	leathm AT solwarra DOT gbrmpa DOT gov DOT au (Leath Muller)
Message-Id:	<199705140128.LAA00870@solwarra.gbrmpa.gov.au>
Subject:	Re: OpenDOS graphics drivers
To:	pierre AT tycho DOT com
Date:	Wed, 14 May 1997 11:28:26 +1000 (EST)
Cc:	opendos AT delorie DOT com
In-Reply-To:	<Pine.LNX.3.95.970513190012.1168B-100000@55-174.hy.cgocable.ca> from "Pierre Phaneuf" at May 13, 97 08:29:22 pm

> >> Nothing *really* fast will work on NT. On NT, ports and memory
> >> protection prevents user space programs from access video hardware.
> > 
> > On the contrary.  DirectX up to version 2 works pretty well in NT 4,
> > and the soon to be released Service Pack 3 will apparently add
> > version 3 support as well.
 
> Yes, but a 32-bit DOS program with a DOS extender beats DirectX to a pulp
> any day, so there's *still* nothing really fast on NT. 

It depends... :) To give an example Quake runs at 28 FPS on my computer
in a window at 640x480 under 95/NT 4, and at the same resolution runs at 14 FPS
under DOS... (it doesn't really do that, but thats another story... ;)
Anyway, the point is DirectX is designed to use hardware acceleration
transparently on all machines running DirectX, something DOS can't keep up
with. Of course, DirectX sux but thats something else... :) I think its
important to remember Win95 _is_ basically a 32bit DOS extended program (that
being a _very_ loose statement... :)

Leathal.

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