From: leathm AT solwarra DOT gbrmpa DOT gov DOT au (Leath Muller) Message-Id: <199705160212.MAA19215@solwarra.gbrmpa.gov.au> Subject: Re: OpenDOS graphics drivers To: pierre AT tycho DOT com Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 12:12:52 +1000 (EST) Cc: opendos AT delorie DOT com In-Reply-To: from "Pierre Phaneuf" at May 15, 97 03:12:24 am Content-Type: text Precedence: bulk > > Ok, first off, if 32 bit isn't that much of an increase, why aren't we > > all still using 16 bit? :) I just don't think there is any argument > > between the advantages/speed etc of 32bit and 16 bit... As for NT, a > Simply because it's easier to have a single 256KB chunk of memory to work > with, than working with four 64KB chunks to have a 640x480 frame buffer! > The cool thing about 32-bit protected mode is that you get all the memory > you need. This doesn't make it *twice* as fast! It makes it *efficient*, > which sometimes is smaller code (doesn't have to juggle small segments)... Ok, if 32 bit is more "efficient" then it must be "faster". No? > OpenDOS has *full* access to hardware acceleration. It just isn't used. > It's not because you don't know how to use the chip on your video card and > DirectX programmers (those who made the drivers) does that DOS is crappy! > And when was the last game you saw running at 640x480 in 32 bit color > depth, all this at 30FPS? DOS Quake with accelerated hardware (yep, it > DOES use accelerated hardware!) will do about 36FPS with 3dfx chipset at > 640x480x16. WinQuake runs the low 20's. In my opinion, if something isn't used, then there is no point in having it there to start with - Windows by default uses acceleration if it there... OpenDOS doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I prefer DOS anyday over Windows, but at least I know in the game I am writing now, which _requires_ hardware acceleration, that coding under Win32 almost guarantees acceleration in hardware if it is available - OpenDOS certainly does not. > In action video games, *ANY* overhead is too much overhead. You break the > cache pipeline. You f**kup your prefetch. You lose CLOCK CYCLES. You know > John Carmack has created over 20 diffenrent rendering engines for Quake > during its development? You wouldn't believe what saving a friggin' clock > cycle in an inner loop can give you in gameplay! If John Carmack is *so* worried about every cycle in a game, why has he shifted to Win32 development only? I'm bored with this thread... Leathal.