Microsoft has announced the public release of the DirectX 9 beta, which is marked as a release-candidate version. Beta system software cannot be recommended for casual users, but those who are interested can find the beta on this download page. DirectX 9 includes many components, including a major revision to Microsoft's graphics standard. The changes to DX9's graphics are concentrated on simplifying the development of shader effects and making them more powerful. The first practical way to see DX9 effects is in tech demos. The final version of DirectX 9 is expected in a few weeks.

　　ATI has released beta drivers with DirectX 9 support, as well as a number of tech demos that show off some advanced visual effects. The drivers and demos are available on this page for download. This driver release will only work with the DX9-ready Radeon 9700 Pro. ATI promises to release final drivers on the day Microsoft releases the final version of DirectX 9.

　　An Nvidia representative could not comment on when the company plans to release DirectX 9-ready drivers. NV30, Nvidia's primary product with full DirectX 9 support, is 2895705expected to be announced next week at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas.