Microsoft Delivers Direct3D API for Intel MMX Technology

Microsoft PressPass – Microsoft Delivers Direct3D API for Intel MMX Technology

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 5, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft® Direct3D
™
is the first generally available 3-D graphics API to be optimized for Intel Corp.’s new MMX TM technology. Applications based on Direct3D – either shipping or in development – will automatically take advantage of Intel® processors with MMX technology. Direct3D with MMX technology has already been distributed to more than 1,000 application developers. Tens of thousands more are scheduled to receive the API in several weeks.

Intel MMX technology and Microsoft Direct3D are key enabling technologies for a new generation of consumer multimedia and entertainment PCs and software. Direct3D provides a development environment for creating high-performance, plug-and-play Internet- and CD-ROM-based 3-D entertainment and business applications. Intel’s MMX technology is a set of new instructions that will enhance the performance of multimedia and communications applications, beginning with a Pentium® processor, code-named P55C. MMX technology will bring consumers richer, more satisfying audio, video, graphics and online experiences. As a result of the combination of Direct3D and MMX technology, consumers will experience better-than-arcade performance and quality on popularly priced systems, while benefiting from true plug and play with applications and hardware.

“Integrating MMX instructions into the Direct3D programming model demonstrates the extensibility of the DirectX API,”
said John Ludwig, vice president of the Internet platform and tools division at Microsoft.
“The combination of Direct3D and MMX technology brings new levels of performance and realism to CD-ROM- and Internet-based applications on a standard PC.”

“Microsoft’s Direct3D is a premier API for developers today who want to deliver best-of-breed 3-D applications for Intel processors with MMX technology,”
said Mike Aymar, vice president, desktop products group at Intel.

Intel is pleased to see MMX technology beginning to be integrated into Microsoft DirectX
™technologies, including Direct3D. The industry benefits tremendously from having a common mechanism for hardware acceleration.”

Microsoft and Intel will continue to work closely to ensure MMX technology and Direct3D are enhanced and scale with successive generations of Intel architecture.

Direct3D and MMX Technology

Direct3D is an API for hardware and software developers that delivers the next generation of high-performance, real-time 3-D rendering technology on the Microsoft Windows® 95 and Windows NT® operating systems. Direct3D offers developers a highly optimized software-only rendering engine with transparent, high-performance, device-independent services that fully exploit the advanced features of underlying 3-D hardware. More than 80 application vendors have announced support for Direct3D. Direct3D is the latest addition to the highly regarded DirectX family of interactive media APIs from Microsoft.

Intel’s MMX technology adds 57 powerful new instructions to the Intel processors to speed up certain compute-intensive loops in multimedia and communications applications. The volume ramp for microprocessors with MMX technology is scheduled to occur in 1997.

Availability and Additional Information

Direct3D with MMX technology is available today as part of the DirectX 3 Software Development Kit (SDK), beta 1 release. When completed, the DirectX 3 SDK is expected to be distributed to more than 100,000 developers as part of the Microsoft Developer Network Development Platform. To join the Microsoft Developer Network in the United States and Canada, call (800) 759-5474 between 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Outside North America, contact the local Microsoft subsidiary, or call +1 (510) 275-0763 in the United States to obtain local contact information.

Direct3D software and additional information about Direct3D and DirectX are available for download from the Internet on the Microsoft Developer Network Web site at http://microsoft.com/msdn/ . Microsoft will license the necessary run-time components of Direct3D royalty-free on Microsoft operating systems, allowing software developers to ship them with their applications.

MMX technology information for developers is available from Intel at (http://www.intel.com/drg/) .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Direct3D, DirectX, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX is a trademark of Intel Corp.

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