RE: XBox - was Windows XP Media Center Edition Review

["Mark Hetherington" <mark.egroups@xxxxxxx>]

Bruno Prior wrote:
> Presumably then, X-Box does not use DirectX, Direct3D etc. As this
> abstracts the interface between software and hardware, a developer
would
> not need to know what hardware is underneath to obtain improved
> performance from higher-specced equipment. Did Microsoft not use
Direct*
> on the XBox because there is actually a large performance penalty to
pay
> for this abstraction?

XBox does utilise DirectX and Direct3D. They are heavility optimised
compared to the PC version and have extensions for the XBox hardware
not
available in the PC version. This has been the case for all non-PC
DirectX
implementations (E.g. Dreamcast). Put very basically there is no HEL
layer,
only HAL.

The performance penalty of the abstraction layer on the PC varies
between
negligible and noticeable. If the hardware is present for functions
requested the former is true. If not, it has to be performed in software
so
the latter is true.

Mark.

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