Microsoft Windows NT

Windows NT is the only multiprocessor capable operating system available Microsoft.  It uses Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP), as explained in the FAQ.  NT is a great choice for users who want to run Windows 9x or Windows 3.1 applications.  The latest version of NT is 4.0 as of October, 1999.   It's successor, Windows 2000 is expected before the end of 1999.

A Brief History of Windows NT

The man most closely associated with Windows NT is Dave Cutler.  He is widely regarded as the father of NT.  He joined Microsoft in 1988 after working to develop the VMS operating system for Digital Electronics Corporation.

Dave Cutler led the development of Windows NT 3.0, which had lofty goals at the time: The OS was to be fully 32-bit, multithreaded, and capable of multitasking with ease.  I am greatly simplifying the specifications written for it: The original specification document was over 600 pages, and in October of 1999 it was presented to The Smithsonian Institute by Dave Cutler where it will be displayed proudly as an important part of computing history.

The first that the public saw of Windows NT was in August of 1991 at a Windows Developers Conference.  I can only speculate as to how impressed those developers present must have been: Windows NT offered 32-bit architecture, features needed for mission-critical systems, AND backwards compatibility with existing Windows 3.1 applications.  Compare that with what DOS and Windows 3.1 had to offer at that time, and you'll see how far ahead NT was.

Windows NT 3.1 and Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 were released to the world in July of 1993.  NT offered several features unheard of before for PC's: Pre-emptive multitasking, OS/2 and POSIX compatibility, and support for x86, MIPS, and Alpha processors.  NT 3.1 also was the first appearance of the NT File System and the Win32 API.  Why wasn't NT 3.1 more of a runaway success?  Hardware requirements.  12MB of RAM as a minimum was an extremely high requirement in 1993, and home users weren't willing to spend the money to buy that much RAM.  While some businesses embraced it early on, NT wasn't a proven entity and many companies were skeptical about NT in the long term.  (I remember seeing NT 3.1 on the shelves in 1993 and lusting after it.  At the time, I had no idea about what it was, or why it was cool.  All I knew was that any $300 OS with support for 2 processors must be cool. - J.C.)

Daytona was the codename of the 3.5 release of Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server.  If you weren't aware, Dave Cutler is a big racing fan who even races semi-professionally in the Toyota Atlantic series.  But putting the automotive adventures of Dave Cutler aside, Daytona was a very apt name for NT 3.5 as 3.5 is widely regarded as the fastest version of Windows NT.  Key architectural changes were made in the video and network architecture for NT 4 that some claim slow it down, while others claim speed it up.  I know some key developers on the Windows 2000 team who still swear by NT 3.51 for their home machines citing speed as the reason why.  Whatever the truth may be, NT 3.5 was where NT started to take off.  Connectivity to UNIX and NetWare systems were a big selling point, and RAM prices had started to drop enough by now that users could afford 12-16MB of RAM.

In June of 1995, Windows NT 3.51 was released.  In addition to refining NT 3.5, new features were added such as fax software, better management of NT networks, and support for PCMCIA (Now PC Card) devices.  On August 24th of 1995, Windows 95 shipped with it's new interface.  While Windows 95 couldn't touch the reliability of NT, the ease of use it offered was a very compelling reason to use it.  Many customers were torn between which OS to run so they turned to one of the oldest NT traditions around: Dual booting between operating systems.

Microsoft introduced Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 in July of 1996.  Windows NT 4.0 was a huge change from 3.51, and included the new interface first introduced with Windows 95.  NT 4 included Internet Information Server 2.0, Microsoft FrontPage, and Internet Explorer 2.  For the first time, Windows NT was a ready-to-run Internet or Intranet solution.

Since 1996, Microsoft has added additional features and fine-tuned existing features with Service Packs and an Option Pack, as well as releasing Windows NT Terminal Server.  As of October of 1999, NT 4 is up to Service Pack 5, with at least Service Pack 6 planned.  The world at this time is paying attention to Windows 2000, formerly known as Windows NT 5.  This product is such a radical change that it will get its own page on 2CPU.Com.

Something that may be confusing to someone considering NT for the first time is which version of NT to use.  Here is a brief rundown of the different versions.

Different Versions of Windows NT

Windows NT Workstation:

Windows NT Server:

Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition:

Windows NT Terminal Server:

Is Windows NT For You?

Windows NT is probably your best choice for an SMP operating system if you meet any of the following criteria:

• You're already familiar with Windows 9x.

• You need full compatibility with your existing Windows 9x programs.

• You have no desire to learn new operating systems.

• You plan to upgrade to Windows 2000.

If you're not opposed to learning new operating systems, the Be OS or a version of Linux may suit you very well.  Be has very little compatibility with existing Windows apps, while Linux has emulators that allow you to use many of your existing Windows apps.  Both Be and Linux have advantages and disadvantaged from NT.  If you're undecided, you can do what so many of us do: Dual boot between several operating systems.

For More Information:

• 2Cpu's Own Article on Running NT At Home
• Microsoft's Site On Windows Products
• Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility List