To DirectInput or not to DirectInput?

[mh]

I'm seriously considering removing the software mouse code from my engine. Advantage 1 is that I can have a simpler input code path with only one API to support. Advantage 2 is that I can construct a lot of reusable code for all input devices. Advantage 3 is that I would no longer have to write everything twice - once for DirectInput and once for software.

I'm interested in how many people really prefer to use software input. I know that there are some, with the main argument being that DirectInput sometimes feels slower, but I've already overcome that by adding an additional boost cvar. Reading MSDN it looks easy enough to also add mouse acceleration if required.

Another argument is that DirectInput may fail to start, but I don't really buy that. May have been valid in 1996 with version 3.0, but it's 2009 and version 8.0 these days. It's a robust, mature, proven-in-the-field API.

Last argument is that MS themselves no longer recommend use of DirectInput, but I'm wondering how much of that is coloured by their push towards the XNA platform.

OK, I'm one of those weird people that enjoys writing input code, and DirectInput is a spectacularly clean API that's just a pleasure to use, but I'm also genuinely interested here.

[Baker]

[mh]

[Spike]