Now they realize about the eye candy missing in DX 10 ....

I like that the GPGPU and CPU multithreading is made more accessible. Intel will probably port Havok to DirectX 11 -- although, because Havok is not middleware and exists in each application, you'll need the application to implement the new Havok SDK. CUDA will become pretty much obsolete for GPGPU programming, I guess :(. If nVidia port PhysX to DX11, we would get PhysX acceleration on AMD and Intel hardware that supports DX11.

Hardware tessellation support is good but its also slow. It's always going to be faster to use multiple LOD meshes than to dynamically calculate them. The development time saved is minimal. Its a nice visual improvement, but not always worth the performance penalty and sometimes it looks worse.

DX11 is going to be pretty cool, but I could definitely stay with DX9c.

Man, I need a new computer so I can get Vista, so I can get DX10/10.1/11.

" Quoting Microsoft, the Shack says DirectX 11 will introduce compute shaders, a technology that will "[lay] the groundwork for the GPU to be used for more than just 3D graphics." "

Er... groundwork?! I can understand the need for a "standard" language for GPGPU, but it has been done. And I don't know if it would be a good thing to have MS setting the rules on that, too.
Although they could be in a position to get GPU makers to sit down and discuss it, my guess is they'll forego the discussion as soon as it turns into a fight and do whatever they want.

Windows 2000 stability is legendary thats why Windows XP was patterned from it. Vista doesn't come close.

You and I apparently used a different Windows 2000 RTM that Febuary.

As I very clearly recall very broken drivers and performance that lagged behind Windows 98 for quite some time. Especially on the NVIDIA front. And TNT2 drivers I imagine were alot less complex that their modern equivalent.

It was worth suffering through/enduring to get away from NT4 though.

Vista isn't as big a leap in features, but the growing pains of a new driver model and OS aren't any different now than they were then.

How about this DirectX 10 for windows XP

http://freshdl.com/Appz/Appz/Direct%11X-10-For-Windows-XP.html

How about Microsoft gives DX10 to XP so it'll become more streamlined first.

The last thing we need is more DXs that go pretty much unused.

Would require a kernel change and driver model change.

And all that would cause one hell of a compatibility mess for months.

more than just 3D but now can do 4D lols

Tesselation? Wow, that's a generic name for what, probably a subdivision scheme?

"Interestingly, Shacknews mentions that DirectX 11 will add functionality to existing, DirectX 10/10.1-class graphics processors. Microsoft apparently didn't reveal which features will require new hardware, however."

they should have said it will require a new Windows version.

Let's hope DX11 is a coupe of years away , because aren't too many games with dx10 even at 2 years after launch.
I mean games that are really dx10 (maybe Crysis ), not just pretending with some texture(COH).

And I really need to change some hardware this summer , and don't want to upgrade in less the 3 years.

How about Microsoft gives DX10 to XP so it'll become more streamlined first.

The last thing we need is more DXs that go pretty much unused.

DirectX 11? Microsoft must be working on the next incarnation of the XBox.

Beta testing ftw

You can't be serious.

Did you see how long the new Vista driver model took to pick up steam?

For that matter what the hell is the point of beta testing for at least six months. Watching vendors still drag their feet, alienate them by forcing them to support two models of drivers for XP, in addition to XP64, W2K3(64), and Vista(64).

And ultimately all this "great change" is just gonna erase the very reason people still cling to XP while creating confusion over which XP driver is the right one.

By the time all this would shake out 7 would be released and Vista on SP2. It's unprecedented as a change and doesn't make any business sense at all for anyone vendors or MS.

I wonder about ray-tracing...

Didn't DirectX originally ship as a software feature and then hardware support came later? Is that what's going to happen with DX11 maybe?