Don''t forget that "DirectX" refers to all of the Direct* APIs: DirectDraw, Direct3D, DirectSound, etc. Sorry to be so nitpicky, but sometimes this causes some serious confusion.

You probably already know this, but GLUT is a framework to make an OpenGL app without worrying about platform-specific issues such as window creation and input. That''s all it does. To do any drawing, you use OpenGL commands.

A console app can use OpenGL. If you use GLUT, you''re technically creating a console app. This is because GLUT does all of the window stuff itself, so making your GLUT app a windowed app might conflict with its use. Console apps can''t draw graphics in the console itself, so they create a separate window. Of course, you don''t need GLUT to create a window and all of that, but it''s lots easier. =)

So...tutorials on basic Windows programming, eh? Well, unfortunately, there isn''t lots of good info out there on that sort of thing anymore; I assume you''re talking about using the raw Win32 API as most game programmers do, as opposed to MFC. Most stuff out there in on MFC. There''s one site on the net with a few tutorials, but I forget the address. Check around in these forums for the link. But you won''t get very far with that, and there''s not much else, so you''ll just have to spend some time with it.

MFC is Microsoft''s poorly made OO wrapper for the Win32 API. Don''t use it for games. See winprog.org for some Win32 tutorials. It doesn''t cover everything, but it''ll get you started.

You can also use SDL (as a more game oriented alternative to GLUT) to do the platform specific Window setup and stuff.

[Resist Windows XP''s Invasive Production Activation Technology!]

A good Win32 tutorial can be found at http://www.winprog.org

Well it depends on the type of game. You are not going to make Quake 4 using MFC but you could certainly make a cool boardgame or turn-based strategy game using MFC.