opengl is open khronos govern it. but companys can change and improve it
vista had directx 11 artificially delayed to make many users as possible move over to 7. (although it was possible to install it if you really really tried, so it wasnt that it wasnt possible.)
direct x 11.1/11.2 is already 8.1 only (that is a 3 year life span of windows 7 being able to use the latest api not 7 years) "although i agree the functionality isnt an issue right now. Which is also part of my point (usless updates that need you to upgrade your os to use)"
there was however 5 years between direct x9 and dx 10 but that did force you to use a new os.
opengl would give access to EVERY platform. and with steam becoming a major player and trying to roll out "steam box" it would be beneficial to drop the dx api.
hardware mfrs would benifit by being able to sell more pre built systems running on open source opperating systems because the cost of a 1st time purchace would be substantially lower. and no need to pay MS for driver signing. (if all the games/apps could run on os other than ms, ms wouldnt really be able to force payment for driver signing if they wanted the hardware on their os so it wasnt useless)
porting games would be easier as the same back bone of relitive hardware and api would be on consoles and pc's
they all seem to want to make one os for all (apple started it) but ms are trying to do it to (which i hate) and if we has one unified open source api that worked it would all be able to intergrate much easier.
like i said khronos dont make opengl. they govern it so the major players could all send a small group of devs/programers each to sit in a big old room for a couple of years. and they could clean up the code make sure that what they need for their hardware to work most efficiently is in there. leave the bear bones essentials for legacy support. (or just rename it and drop legacy) submit that to khronos and there you go. a better working opengl.
from what i have read every one would prefer that "apart from ms" but developers dont do it now because open gl is such a mess. and a nightmare to work with because over the years so much crap has been added..
as for java. ms's implimentation of java made it the fastest version. but sun sued them for their improper usage of it. it was kind of a monopoly as every one used ms java instead of sun java. there was a court case and now every one uses sun java because ms was no longer allowed to distibute their version with windows.
Direct x is however a monopoly..
but thats one that has been brought about by poor managment of opengl so i guess we cant really blame ms. but i can blame ms for stupid small useless updates that mean you have to upgrade your os to get them. and also delaying releases for older os's even though they could have been implimented the same day.
and your point about buying a ms os is kind of mute and proves the monopoly.. IF i want to play games i HAVE to buy ms because i Have to use direct-x.. IF open gl was the standard, then i wouldnt have to buy windows because i wouldnt have to have direct x.. which again just reinforces what i was saying to start it.. so the market share thing is dependant on the standard api..
this does not mean to say if direct x became obsoleet no one would use windows many people find it easy to use) but if we go back to using dos like we used to and early windows releases. we all managed just fine with those and then they progresses. Nothing says that open source opperating systems couldnt progress to an easier for the lay man opereting system.
The only reason many if not most enthusiasts run windows is because direct-x became the standard api for devs. and the only reason the majority of gamers upgrade windows is because they can no longer use the latest direct-x. that api is essentialy MS's trump card. and they can and do use it to leverage sales of operating systems.
also i never buy pre built computers.. but thats irrelevant to the point being made.
although i guess form the actual thread title this point is slightly off topic. but as the support ends for things like directx (although we can clearly see that ended with 11.1) it is kind of relevant.
