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to the Unleashing Windows Index With the unveiling of Microsoft Windows 95, many people will wonder, "Why does Microsoft have two 32-bit operating systems?" Also, many people and companies will wonder which operating system best serves their needs. Both operating systems have their purpose in the overall operating system market. In this article, we'll examining the two operating systems to determine what each is good for and what purpose each serves.
Let's look at Windows 95 first since it is the newest product of the Microsoft family. Windows 95 is designed to replace Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.1/3.11. It has a new graphical user interface that is designed to more closely resemble the Macintosh desktop. It also has built-in network components that are faster and more stable than those found in Windows for Workgroups. Windows 95 also supports Plug-and-Play technology. This is designed to make upgrading or installing new components easier by allowing the OS to communicate with the installed devices to try to avoid hardware conflicts between them.
Windows 95 also is designed to support most MS-DOS applications and allows the user to reboot the machine in MS-DOS mode. Although it is designed to replace MS-DOS completely, Windows 95 does allow a dual-boot feature which allows the user to select which operating system to run when the computer is turned on. However, this is not done automatically, the user has to install Windows 95 in a different directory than the current Windows 3.1 location.
Windows 95 is able to run in 4MB of RAM, but it is strongly recommended that Windows 95 machines have 8MB. It can run on a 386 machine as well, but again, a 486 or better is the best system to try to run it on. Windows 95 supports the Intel X86 architecture and does not support other platforms like the DEC Alpha, MIPS, or PowerPC machines.
Now, let's look at Windows NT. Windows NT is designed to be an enterprise-wide operating system. It has two components: Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server. NT Workstation is designed to be either a stand-alone or networked workstation. NT Server is designed to be a network server supporting a variety of different network topologies and protocols. Together, they provide a complete networking solution for both the client side and the server side.
Windows NT currently maintains the Windows 3.1 appearance with Program Manager. Windows NT also supports three different types of disk file systems: FAT (File Allocation Table - the MS-DOS file system), HPFS (High Performance File System - OS/2's file system), and NTFS (NT File System - NT's own file system which provides for better security in NT than the other two). Windows NT allows the user to determine whether to have a dual-boot system or boot into just NT if it is installed on a X86 machine.
Windows NT Workstation requires at least 12MB of system RAM, while NT Server requires 16MB. NT can be installed on Intel X86 machines, DEC Alpha machines, MIPS machines, and PowerPC machines. NT also supports multiple processors in one machine.
Now that we've covered some of the features of each operating system, which one is best suited for your needs? Windows 95 is the best operating system for home use as well as some businesses who are currently using Windows for Workgroups. Also, it can connect as a client to Novell and Windows NT Servers and many businesses who are using those may want to consider Windows 95 as well. If you use a lot of MS-DOS applications, Windows 95 will support those better than Microsoft NT. For example, Doom 2 will easily play under Windows 95 while it does not work under NT. Windows 95 is also the best operating system if you don't have the hefty hardware requirements of Windows NT.
Windows NT is the best operating system for most businesses since it offers a server component as well as a client component. It supports a variety of topologies and protocols and is designed to work with existing network servers such as Novell servers and UNIX hosts. Windows NT provides much more comprehensive security than Windows 95, especially if using the NTFS file structure. NT also makes it much easier to set up multiple users on one machine and groups to be shared for multiple accounts. Windows NT is also the best operating system if you have PowerPC or DEC Alpha machines or machines with multiple processors.
Of course, both operating systems can be used together. For example, Windows 95 will connect to NT Server without any problem. The disadvantage of this arrangement is the differences in the user interface of the two environments. However, NT will be upgraded sometime in 1996 or 1997 to incorporate the Windows 95 interface and some of it's features.
Both of Microsoft's 32-bit operating systems have very strong improvements over Windows 3.1. However, determining which one to use depends on the type of applications you have and the hardware they are run on. While many features of the two operating systems overlap, each has it's specific niche to fill. Hopefully, this article has helped you decide with one is right for you.