A study on the use of OpenGL in window systems

OpenGL is getting used more in window system as a way of improving performance and enabling new functionality. Examples of two systems using different approaches of how OpenGL is being used are Quartz Extreme and Fresco. Quartz Extreme uses window composition which assures fast redisplay and Fresco on the other hand uses a structured graphics approach which utilises OpenGL on a much lower level compared to Quartz Extreme which operates at a window level. Fresco’s way brings great flexibility and an ability to mix 2D and 3D-objects on the desktop. But each of the approaches has its problems; Quartz extreme requires a large amount of memory for buffering of the window contents and Fresco has performance problems when redisplaying complex structures.