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msmobiles.com_robot
Joined: 23 Mar 2004
Posts: 16777215
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 Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:57 pm Post subject: XNA Game Studio 3.0 Beta released with support for Zune but still no Windows Mobile |
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So here we go again: Microsoft releases new technology without support for Windows Mobile. How can anybody believe claims of Microsoft emploeyees that Windows Mobile is meant also for consumers, not just professiona...
Read more at http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/7647.html |
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microq
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:08 am Post subject: possible reason |
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Hi Edward,
I was just thinking the most probable reason that there is no release for WM is most likely because of a hardware compatilbilty reason - obsiouly there are many many vendors of WM devices with different OEM all with different architectures - specifically graphics platforms. For this reason it would be extremely difficult for MS to release an SDK for ALL the different types of hardware systems running windows mobile - remember graphics is only part software!
The reason why the zune (like the ipod) would be easy to develop for is that they all have the same base hardware architecture.
Well those are my logically brought about thoughts.
Many thanks
David
p.s. just got an HTC Touch Pro - love it! |
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alcedes
Joined: 29 Sep 2007
Posts: 273
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:33 am Post subject: Re: possible reason |
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| microq wrote: | ,
I was just thinking the most probable reason that there is no release for WM is most likely because of a hardware compatilbilty reason - |
For the 2D APIs this is not the case. The Zune only supports the 2D classes of XNA. The reason it doesn't support the 3D APIs is because of lack of hardware support. Bot Windows Mobile and the Zune's software are based on Windows CE, both use ARMS processors. Though the processor type doesn't really matter since the .Net framework provides a level of abstraction against processor type (because of this it is possible to make a single executable that runs on both an ARMS based Windows Mobile device and on an x86 based PC, though this is rarely done).
| microq wrote: | | obsiouly there are many many vendors of WM devices with different OEM all with different architectures - specifically graphics platforms. For this reason it would be extremely difficult for MS to release an SDK for ALL the different types of hardware systems running windows mobile - remember graphics is only part software! |
That's not an obstacle. The OEMs must conform to supporting a minimal set of graphics operations for GDI in order to be able to run Windows Mobile, and the WM OS provides a layer of hardware abstraction for the developer. The hardware/drives would have an impact on performance, but not an impact on the minimum functionality that will always be present.
There's no reason that portions of the XNA framework cannot be ported to Windows Mobile. While welcomed it's not really needed. For the xbox 360 and the Zune there's a matter of intelectual property in preventing the general public from having access to the device's APIs. The XNA framework and the virtual machine in which it runs provides a sandbox in which people can run their own programs while not gaining access to the low level APIs of the device. For Windows Mobile Microsoft does not prevent developers from gaining low level access to the device and such a sandbox isn't needed. Additionally developers can already do programming with sound, 2D, and 3D graphics through the APIs already present on the device. Without the XNA framework only licensed developers can program for the xbox 360 and presently no one but Microsoft can make native (non XNA) binaries that run on the Zune. The level of performance that one would achieve would be dependent on hardware, but the same base level functionality would be available to all.
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MCAD .Net , MCTS (Web, Windows) |
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microq
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject: very good points! |
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I am some what of a programmer/developer myself, and you have excellent very valid points - i didnt even bother to have a look at the XNA stuff - i just jumped to conclusions without even thinking.
I am in total "agreeableness" with you :p
I still, however, think its an OEM thing that we arent going to see it for bit - but given HTCs late performance it would be stupid not to get together with MS on the gaming front...hello iphone!?
D |
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