Why is it taking MS so damn long to get DX9c out the door?

[davepermen]

Which still shouldn't require a whole lot of hardware to test it. The interface will be identical for most any hardware. It's only a few NV40-specific things that need to be tested, and that only to ensure that it's possible for the interface and specifications to work with nVidia's hardware. nVidia can do the rest of the work through drivers.

but a lot of testing. and the best, to test, is to have different real world scenarios, a.k.a. foreign hw and applications.

 

[KimB]

I really don't see why you'd need that for testing small changes to an API.

 

[hstewarth]

I agree with davepermen in the most part, except for the fact that it maybe a big rewrite - even the 64 bit stuff is not a rewrite because Microsoft has been doing 64 bit for years with Alpha's and Itaniums.

IA-64 is completely different from x86-64.

Yes IA-64 and the Alpha are complete different then x86-64, in fact x86-64 infact x86-64 has more in common with 32 bit x86 cpus then these true 64 bit processors.

But most o Windows is likely written in C and C++ and since Microsoft already has compile 64 bit version running on IA-64 and Alpha ( old code on Alpha ), I would think most of 64 bit porting issue will be already done.

Only thing that needs to be done is low level assembly language parts, which should be quite easy for them - since it should be very close to 32 x86 code but extended to 32bit.

Of course they would have to work out any bugs related to target compiler to x86-64 that are directly related to the these types of cpus.


I think for atleast windows a 64 bit XP is only temporary stage, the real effort will be Longhorn which is mostly .Net and will be system neutral. Which means that .Net code will run on x86-64, x86, IA-64 with out any changes. Only thing different will be the on the fly code generator.

 

[DegustatoR]

ForceWare 61.34 already supports SM3.0. So it's really more of a question when the next update to the DXSDK will be released. AFAIK DX9c is just a bunch of bugfixes for runtime, nothing more.

 

[DeanoC]

DegustatoR:
You are right about drivers (I think, its on it my latest but whether thats that particular version I couldn't say).

You are wrong about DX9.0c.

 

[LeStoffer]

Well the fact that DX9.0c currently is at beta3 AFAIK seems to indicate that is it more than just 'a few bugfixes'.

 

[KimB]

As in a lot of bug fixes?

 

[ERP]

Well the fact that DX9.0c currently is at beta3 AFAIK seems to indicate that is it more than just 'a few bugfixes'.

And the HLSL compiler is still full of bugs!
even generating shader 2.0 code.

 

[Briareus]

Which still shouldn't require a whole lot of hardware to test it.

But the problem is that even though it "shouldn't require a whole lot of hardware to test it" there doesn't appear that there is ANY nV40s around to test it on....they've all been allocated to review sites to help stretch out the paper launch.

I don't know. It seems like people are starting to see them, although not in walmart sized shipments.

As for dx9.0c , MS just put out its RC2 which includes the DX update. You can go download it from their site if you really want it.

 

[Jabjabs]

What the F**K is going on in that company??? Why can't they bloody get anything DONE???

Well if you where given the chance to sit around for 6 months being payed would you take it? J/K,I think it is mostly bug testing as mentioned earlier.

 

[DegustatoR]

You are wrong about DX9.0c.

Maybe But as i see it all the new SM3.0 stuff are in the SDK, not in the runtime. But there might be something else nv40 related there, who knows...

 

[DegustatoR]

Which still shouldn't require a whole lot of hardware to test it.

But the problem is that even though it "shouldn't require a whole lot of hardware to test it" there doesn't appear that there is ANY nV40s around to test it on....they've all been allocated to review sites to help stretch out the paper launch.

Well, that's already not true. We have four of these already, in 'poor' Russia - 6800U, 6800U, 6800GT and 6800.

So the samples is out, it just a matter of time for a full retail availability. And i think that July is a good guess (confirmed numerous times by some of the boardmakers btw ).