The Future of Windows Graphic Technology

Ben writes 'Extremetech has an article discussing the future of Windows graphics technology. The article uses information from presentations at the recent WinHEC, and outlines the Windows Graphics Foundation and other technologies expected to make an appearance in Longhorn. Particularly interesting is the Longhorn Display Driver Model: 'With it, Microsoft is aiming for that ideal situation of 'graphics just works.' For example, if you upgrade a graphics driver today, you typically have to reboot the system. One example of the 'graphics just works' mantra is one of LDDM's goals of allowing installation of graphics drivers without needing to restart the system.'

Comments

Microsoft, the Leader in Technology

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow upgrading a driver without having to reboot? Amazing! This along with alpha transparency in IE7 and a full-fledged journaling file system should launch Microsoft into a new age of technology, the 90's.

meh

[Anonymous Coward]

wake me when I can hot swap my video card.

To: Steve

[guitaristx]

From: Bill
Subject: Re: Longhorn

Hey Steve,
Has the research team figured out why the *nix machines don't have to reboot all the time?

Bill

Re:To: Steve

[Dante Shamest]

From: Steve
Subject: Re: Longhorn

Hi Bill,

I'll forward your query to Linus.

Steve

P.S. How do you like the iPod I sent?

Re:To: Steve

[shadowmatter]

From: Steve Ballmer
Subject: Missing e-mail?

Bill,

Since I haven't gotten any e-mail from you recently, I just wanted to let you know that we think that the *nix machines don't require a reboot thanks to some magical code they stole from SCO. And by "we think," I mean "I think." And by "I think," I mean I have no fucking clue what's going on.

On a side note, where did you get that snazzy new iPod?

Steve B.

Welcome to the age of X!

[Anonymous Coward]

Word has it that Bill just visited a museum.

Next, of course, is having multiple different graphics drivers running at once, and switching between them with, say, Ctrl-Alt-F7 and... Oh, wait...

-JAB

Obligatory

[jpardey]

So when I update my display drivers for Duke Nukem Forever, I won't have to restart!

Re:Obligatory

[snorklewacker]

The new engine in DNF won't use displays, as it will pipe the image directly into your brain. It'll be done WHEN IT'S DONE, dammit.

Re:No reboots

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't worry, debian doesn't have it yet. Check back in another three years.

Lets compare windows to linux

[ad0gg]

Nvidia installation instructions

"The NVIDIA kernel module has a kernel interface layer which must be compiled specifically for the configuration and version of the kernel you are running. "

For the win.

Wow

[LittleLebowskiUrbanA]

Truly revolutionary. See what you're missing Linux and BSD users? AND I'll just bet Microsoft will add their own antivirus app to Longhorn so you can conveniently just send all of your moeny to one place. Top that, OSS hippies!

Re:No reboots

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, if you install security patches whenever they come out, your system won't be up long enough for memory leaks to become a problem!

Re:The best quote from TFA:

[MightyMartian]

By the time Longhorn ships, we'll be building interstellar space craft based on gravity drives and watching King George Bush XVI getting coronated.

Re:OS X - Quartz

[mpaque]

Funny, however, how the rendering scheme and virtualization of graphics card memmory sounds awfully like the new, and currently shipping, graphics engine in Apple's OS X. (Quartz and Quartz Extreme.)

No, no, no! They are nothing like each other. If you look at the diagrams, you'll see that the Longhorn graphics pipelines run from top to bottom, whereas the Mac OS X graphics pipelines run left to right.

They're orthogonal to each other...

Re:Detonator or Catalyst upgrades

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

And, if one of our customers at work is to be believed, XP may still need a reboot, after switching it from DHCP to a static IP. Granted most customers claim they have "windows millenium edition 2000" or "2000 XP" or even "windows 95 XP"...

But this one that I remember clearly, didn't even bother to tell me. I had to ask what color her start button was, and she answered "green".

I guess they're right

[toby]

There are going to be so many other creative ways to have the system reboot, it makes sense to eliminate one of them.

Good luck with that.

About Microsoft's new mantra...

[francisew]

I love the new Microsoft mantra.

Today while repeating it to coworkers (while trying to install windows (aaargh), I spouted it out in a far more accurate form.

Microsoft: it just works sometimes

Ballmer's iPod

[roesti]

P.S. How do you like the iPod I sent?

You mean this iPod?

Get your facts straight !!!

[bergeron76]

Wow upgrading a driver without having to reboot? Amazing! This along with alpha transparency in IE7 and a full-fledged journaling file system should launch Microsoft into a new age of technology, the 90's.

You linux Zealots all sing the same refrain with your vague posts:

a new age of technology, the 90's.

Try substantiating your comments with FACTS! Your post _should_ have read:

a new age of technology, the mid 90's.

Re:Why Is Rebooting Such a Huge Deal, Anyway?

[StikyPad]

When I turn my computer on in the morning

Yeah.. Wait, you turn your computer off? And they let you have a UID here? Standards sure have been dropping lately..

Hehehe...

[FluffyArmada]

Microsoft : No More Reboots!
Users : Really?! Tell us more!!
Microsoft : Yeah! Its this great new feature. Instead of the old "have to reboot" thing, we have patented an incredible new, "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" system to manage new drivers! :D