Have Microsoft got round to making a specific 3D API for their mobile platforms?

Currently what Microsoft has in term of underlying technology is WinCE 4.2, which supports D3D, although that isn't shipped in WinCE 4.2, based products. The first product offerings with a native 3D API are likely to be Pocket PC 2004.

How compatible do you think you'll be with Pocket PC 2004?

Very, we've got no concerns there. We've been in discussions and meetings with Microsoft throughout the development of the Microsoft platforms.

D3D Mobile will be the 3D API in WinCE 5.0 and PocketPC 2004 and provides access to DX7 functionality including fixed function T&L. Of course MBX also supports Vertex Shaders and we are working on how to expose this functionality as well. OpenGL ES, which is now published and ratified, has a similar feature set.

Seeing this is OpenGL though I assume you'll be able to utilise your own extensions there?

Absolutely, and that's exactly what we'll be doing so we'll have full support of the capabilities of MBX with OpenGL ES.

So in essence you'll have a superset of the core OpenGL ES?

Yes. We're heavily involved in the Khronos group and we're one of the twelve promoters of the technology.

Can you tell us at all who you are working with on the development side?

The state of play at the moment is that we've been working mainly with middleware suppliers. One of the reasons for this is that they are going to enable a number of developers. The second reason is that until we receive silicon back we are not really able to open a wide-ranging developer program. We are waiting to get silicon back and in Q3 '03 we'll be rolling out developer systems.

I take it you're giving the middleware engine producers an idea of what performance they can expect from this?

Exactly - performance metrics, scaling, specifics on the API's.