http://letskilldave.com/archive/2006/10/17/DirectX-10-for-Windows-XP_3F00_--Repeat-after-me_3A00_-No.-No.-No_2E00_.aspx



sorry people, no DX10 for winxp.

This author should be shot.

Apparently, the "L" version is what DirectX 9.0c for Vista was called while it was still in development, before it was re-branded as 9.0ex. (And no, DX9 under Vista is NOT the same as it is under XP, as it has to accommodate the new driver model.) 

It's actually rather funny... ;) MS originally created DirectX to try and woo game developers to their platforms, but the latest tactic with DX10 exclusivity is more likely to drive them away. Games come out on multiple platforms these days, so really, why would you choose to develop for DirectX anymore? It only supports PC and X-Box. Build your engine around OpenGL 2.0/3.0, and you've suddenly got something that can be ported across Windows, Mac, Linux, and PS3 — using the full feature-set on all platforms/OSs no less, with no arbitrary crippling of any one platform as a marketing ploy.

Think a return to OpenGL is far-fetched? Big names in the industry are already doing this... Just check out the specs for the Epic's Unreal 3 engine... ;)