I have been trying to figure out how to use Microsoft DirectX 8.0. I downloaded it from MS, but it seems like it is very 3D-oriented, and I am looking for 2D stuff.

I found a super-cool library called Fastgraph -- it costs money, but not much. A mere 299 US$ is nothing for a serious developer. I have used it before (for MS-DOS some years ago).

Now I am interested in hearing what you other people use. I am not starting a major long discussion with thousands of posts fighting out religious battles. My intention is to find out what you guys use and feel free to notify me (and others) of any graphics library you may be using (or know of).

Microsoft DirectX can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com

Fastgraph can be downloaded from www.fastgraph.com

GDI32.DLL can be downloaded from c:\windows\system\gdi32.dll