Choosing a Workstation OS: Windows 95/Windows NT Workstation

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Mobile Users

Mobile computer users need integrated features, such as electronic mail, fax, and remote networking, which ease information access from whatever location. They need a high level of compatibility with their current devices and applications, and an operating system which places moderate demands on the system (RAM, disk space, battery power) and provides Plug and Play device configuration capabilities. These users should use Windows 95.

Developers and Technical Users

Developers, engineers, scientific researchers, statisticians, and other technical users often run processing-intensive applications, while also using business productivity applications. Today, many of these users must have both a UNIX-based workstation and a PC on their desk to get their job done. Windows NT Workstation can save costs by meeting their demands for greater processing power while also running Windows-based personal and business productivity applications on the same system. Windows NT Workstation provides the performance of a leading-edge workstation or mini- computer at a fraction of the cost, with its support for symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and its portability to different high-performance platforms like those based on Alpha AXP, PowerPC, or MIPS-based CPUs.

Business Desktop

For the business desktop, examine the business problem you're trying to solve. To determine if Windows NT Workstation is compatible with your existing hardware and software, answer the following three questions:

1. Do your current systems have the resources (minimum 12 MB RAM, 90 MB hard drive space) required to run Windows NT Workstation? If not, do you have the budget to upgrade these systems to run Windows NT Workstation? You should weight this cost against the extra reliability and protection features you get with Windows NT Workstation. If you can not afford to upgrade your systems today, you should deploy Windows 95.
2. Are there Windows NT Workstation drivers for the devices you have in place, including video cards, drive controllers, proprietary 3270 devices, and network interface cards? The Windows NT Hardware Compatibility List can be used to determine if drivers are available for these devices.
3. Are your applications compatible with Windows NT Workstation? Are you running applications that require an MS-DOS or Windows device driver or SR, and have these been ported to Windows NT Workstation?

If the answer to each of the above questions is yes, then you should deploy Windows NT Workstation. In the areas that require the higher level of compatibility, you should deploy Windows 95.

Do you need the additional application and system protection features offered by Windows NT Workstation?

In some situations, the business cost from a disruption in service caused by an application bringing down another application or the system can be very high. Windows NT Workstation can help minimize these costs by running Win16 applications in separate address space (often referred to as separate virtual machines) so that if one Win16 application fails, all of the other applications will continue to run. Win32-based applications running on both platforms provide greater reliability through use of separate memory address areas, multiple asynchronous message queues, and structured exception handling. Windows NT provides an additional level of protection for the system by completely separating operating system and application code. Windows NT Workstation can also be configured to automatically restart if the system goes down. If the value of these additional protection features offered by Windows NT Workstation is greater than the value of the higher level of compatibility offered by Windows 95, choose Windows NT Workstation.

Do you require the data security features offered by Windows NT Workstation?

Both Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation can help prevent naive users from damaging their system configuration. Beyond this, the Windows NT File System (NTFS) can be configured to restrict access to systems and data. This prevents malicious users from deleting system files or damaging line- of-business applications. With these features, a Windows NT desktop system can even be shared by multiple users and still maintain security for all files on the system. In addition, Windows NT Workstation is currently in the evaluation phase for the government C2 level security specification. If the value of these additional security features offered by Windows NT Workstation is greater than the value of the higher level of compatibility offered by Windows 95, choose Windows NT Workstation.

Overall, Windows 95 is the best choice where you need to leverage your investment in your existing infrastructure by using your existing applications and devices as you make a steady transition to Win32-based applications and more capable hardware. In other cases where the highest levels of protection for applications, system and data are required to meet your business needs, Windows NT Workstation is the best choice.

Similarities of Windows NT Workstation and Windows 95

The following table summarizes features that the products share. Feature differences that exist today, but will be resolved in the future, are noted as "Future Release".

                                                           Windows NT
Product Feature                               Windows 95   Workstation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Application Support
 - Win32 API for application development, OLE     Yes         Yes
   for linking data across applications
 - Preemptive multitasking of Win32               Yes         Yes
   applications
 - Runs the majority of Win16 applications        Yes         Yes
 - Multimedia APIs (DibEngine, Direct Draw,       Yes         Future
   DirectSound, Direct Input, Reality Lab 3D                  Release
   graphics libraries)
 - OpenGL graphics libraries for 3D graphics      Future      Yes
                                                  Release

Ease of Use
 - Auto-detection and configuration of            Yes         Yes
   hardware during installation
 - Next-generation Windows User Interface         Yes         Future
                                                              Release
 - Plug and Play technology that lets you add     Yes         Future
   hardware automatically and dynamically                     Release
   reconfigure the system

Connectivity
 - LAN connectivity and peer-to-peer              Yes         Yes
   networking, with all popular protocols
   including TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, DLC and NetBEUI
 - Open networking architecture provides          Yes         Yes
   choice of clients, transports and drivers
   and extensibility for support of third
   party networking applications
 - Built-in Remote Access services                Yes         Yes
 - Built-in universal inbox providing             Yes         Future
   email and fax                                              Release
 - Built-in MSN online service                    Yes         Future
   client software                                            Release

Manageability
 - Open system management architecture            Yes         Yes
   provides infrastructure for third party
   system management solutions
 - Supports existing and emerging system          Yes         Yes
   management standards (SNMP, DMI)
 - System Policies to provide centralized         Yes         Future
   control over desktop configuration                         Release
 - User profiles to provide consistent            Yes         Yes
   configuration for roving users or
   different  users sharing a single system
 - Remote monitoring of system performance        Yes         Yes


System and Peripheral Support
 - Fully exploits 386DX, 486, and Pentium         Yes         Yes
   platforms
 - Disk compression                               Yes         Yes
                                                  (VFAT)      (NTFS)
 - Dynamic PCMCIA support (you don't have         Yes         Static today,
   to reboot system to add a device)                          Yes in Future
                                                              Release

Support and Service
 - Quick Fix Engineering teams to solve           Yes         Yes
   critical problems at specific sites
 - Regular Service Pack releases to               Yes         Yes
   provide new drivers, component updates,
   and problem fixes
				

Differences between Windows NT Workstation and Windows 95

The following table summarizes differences between the two products that
will continue over time.

Product Feature                              Windows 95    Windows NT
                                                           Workstation
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Application Support
 - System Resource Capacity                     Greatly    Unlimited
                                                expanded
 - Runs MS-DOS applications                     Yes        Most (see
                                                           note below)
 - Runs IBM Presentation Manager                No         Yes
  (through 1.3)  & POSIX 1003.1 applications

Application and Data Protection
 - Preemptive multitasking for Win16            No         Yes
   applications
 - System completely protected from             No         Yes
   errant Win16 and Win32 applications
 - NTFS file system provides complete           No         Yes
   protection of files on a stand-alone
   system (Files, folders, and applications
   can be made "invisible" to specific users)
 - Has automatic recovery from a system         No         Yes
   failure

System and Peripheral Requirements and Support
 - Runs MS-DOS device drivers                  Yes         No
 - Runs Win16 device drivers                   Yes         No
 - Minimum recommended RAM                     8 MB        12 MB
 - Typical disk space requirement              40 MB       90 MB
 - Runs on PowerPC, MIPS, and DEC Alpha        No          Yes
   AXP-based RISC systems
 - Supports multi-processor configurations     No          Yes
   for scaleable performance without
   changing operating system or applications
				

NOTE: Windows NT Workstation requires 12 MB RAM 486 or greater, or compatible RISC-based system. Also, certain categories of applications that try to directly access hardware will not work on Windows NT Workstation because they compromise security or system robustness (for example, applications that try to directly access hardware, some MS-DOS games requiring specialized hardware access, and old MS-DOS and Windows device drivers [including VxDs]).