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Windows 98 is designed to support
the technology darlings of the gaming world - AGP and
MMX - and Microsoft DirectX is built directly into
Windows 98. These technologies give Windows 98 the power
to run computer games as well as a dedicated game player
would.
MMX
MMX is an
Intel processor, which means it's hardware, and many new computers come
equipped with it. Before MMX, computer processors had to
first digest whole chunks of information before they
could do anything with it, kind of like having loads of
laundry to do, but not being able to use the washer and
dryer at the same time. MMX enables computers to
use both, and get their work done faster than they could
otherwise.
AGP
AGP, which
stands for Accelerated Graphics Port, is also a piece of
Intel hardware that is built in to many new computers.
It can free up memory in your computer. It works like a
police officer directing traffic: it directs the flow of
information away from the part of your computer's brain
that manages multimedia software, so your computer can
concentrate on displaying the pictures that come with
computer games; this makes them sharper and more
vibrant.
DirectX
Microsoft
DirectX 5.0 lets your game automatically take advantage
of whatever special video card, audio card, or joystick
you may have, which enables your games to run faster or
sound better. It's also one of the most popular
foundations that developers use when they build their
games. (If you have Windows 98, you can also download
DirectX 6.0, the newest version of DirectX, free of
charge from Windows Update.)
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