Editing Graphics Device Interface (section)

===Early versions===
GDI was present in the initial release of Windows. MS-DOS programs had manipulated the graphics hardware using [[software interrupt]]s (sometimes via the [[Video BIOS]]) and by manipulating [[video memory]] directly. Code written in this way expects that it is the only user of the video memory, which was not tenable on a [[Computer multitasking|multi-tasked environment]], such as Windows. The ''[[BYTE]]'' magazine, in December 1983, discussed Microsoft's plans for a system to output graphics to both printers and monitors with the same code in the forthcoming first release of Windows.<ref name="butler198312">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-12/1983_12_BYTE_08-12_Easy_Software#page/n49/mode/2up | title=Device-Independent Graphics Output for Microsoft Windows | work=BYTE | date=December 1983 | access-date=20 October 2013 | author=Butler, John | pages=49}}</ref>

On [[Windows 3.1x]] and [[Windows 9x]], GDI can use [[Bit blit]] features for 2D acceleration, if suitable [[graphics card]] driver is installed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dosdays.co.uk/media/cirrus_logic/CL-GD543X_Applications_and_Eratta_Book_Apr94.pdf|title=CL-GD543X Applications and Errata Book - Revision 1.2|publisher=[[Cirrus Logic]]|date=April 1994|access-date=January 4, 2025}}</ref>