Software Quarterly

Windows NT

Windows NT is Microsoft's high-end, workstation-class operating system for Intel, MIPS, and DEC Alpha-based PCs. Offering integrated C2-level security and the most robust memory protection models of any PC-based OS, Windows NT is a solid platform for mission-critical applications. It's also a workhorse of an OS, supporting advanced computing technologies like symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP).

Where NT falls short as a desktop 32-bit OS, however, is in the area of backward compatibility. While most 16-bit Windows productivity applications run properly under NT's WOW (Win16 on Win32) environment, the operating system's security and protection models prohibit the use of 16-bit device drivers. This severely limits NT's ability to support input/output-related applications like facsimile or host-connectivity; for these you need native NT software -- something that's all too scarce.

NT is also big. Though the latest version -- Windows NT 3.5 -- is slimmer than its earlier incarnations, it's still a hefty OS with a minimum RAM requirement of 12 MB; frankly, 16 MB is more realistic. Then there's the interface -- Windows NT retains the antiquated Windows 3.1 Program Manager/File Manager look and feel, making it a far less intuitive environment than the WPS-equipped OS/2.

Finally, Windows NT lacks an underlying SOM. Microsoft is promising such a model -- including a distributed, object-oriented file system -- for the next generation of NT, code-named "Cairo." But Cairo isn't due out until sometime late in 1995 or early 1996, leaving NT competing against far better-equipped competitors.

Where NT makes the most sense is as a back-end database or application server. The product's SMP support allows it to scale well as additional CPUs are introduced, while its fault-tolerant, transaction-based file system (NTFS) makes even complex server crashes relatively easy to recover from.





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