The release to manufacturing of Microsoft Windows NT
on July 27, 1993, marked an important milestone for
Microsoft. It completed a project Microsoft began in
the late 1980s to build an advanced new operating system
from scratch. Windows NT represents nothing less than a
fundamental change in the way that companies can address
their business computing requirements, Microsoft Chairman
Bill Gates said at its release. Windows NT was the first
Windows operating system to combine support for high end
client/server business applications with the industrys
leading personal productivity applications. The operating
system broke new ground in security, operating system
power, performance, desktop scalability, and reliability
with a range of key new features. These included a pre
emptive multitasking scheduler for Windows based
applications, integrated networking, domain server
security, OS/2 and POSIX subsystems, support for multiple
processor architectures, and the NTFS file system.
Windows NT 3.1 contained overlapping windows and other
features similar to Windows 3.1. The new operating system
began with version 3.1 in order to maintain consistency
with Windows 3.1, which at the time was a well established
operating system for both home and business users.
Windows NT was geared toward business users and was
initially available in both a desktop (workstation)
version and a server version called Windows NT Advanced
Server. The desktop version was well received by
developers because of its security, stability, and rich
Microsoft Win32 application programming interface (API)
a combination that made it easier to support powerful
programs. Windows NT was a strategic platform that could
integrate client/server applications with existing
Windows based desktop applications, or function as a
technical workstation to run high end engineering or
scientific applications.Windows NT Workstation 3.5
supported the OpenGL graphics standard, which helped
power high end applications for software development,
engineering, financial analysis, scientific, and
business critical tasks. The Windows NT Workstation
3.5 release provided the highest degree of protection
yet for critical business applications and data. The
product also offered 32 bit performance improvements,
better application support, including support for
NetWare file and print servers, and improved
productivity features, such as the capability to
give files 255 character names.Windows 95 was the
successor to Microsofts three existing general purpose
desktop operating systemsWindows 3.1, Windows for
Workgroups, and MS DOS. Windows 95 included an
integrated 32 bit TCP/IP stack for built in Internet
support, dial up networking, and new Plug and Play
capabilities that made it easy for users to install
hardware and software. The 32 bit operating system
also offered enhanced multimedia capabilities, more
powerful features for mobile computing, and
integrated networking. In order to keep memory
requirements to a minimum, it did not include support
for such features as system level security or
Unicode, which came later.This upgrade to Microsofts
business desktop operating system brought increased
ease of use and simplified management, higher network
throughput, and a complete set of tools for developing
and managing intranets.Windows NT Workstation 4.0
included the popular Windows 95 user interface and
improved networking support, providing secure, easy
access to the Internet and corporate intranets. In October
1998, Microsoft announced that Windows NT would no longer
carry the initials NT, and that the next major version
of the operating system would be called Windows 2000.