Q132748: Choosing a Workstation OS: Windows 95/Windows NT Workstation
Article: Q132748
Product(s): Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT Networking Issues
Version(s): WINDOWS:95; winnt:3.51
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): win95
Last Modified: 02-FEB-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
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SUMMARY
=======
Both Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation 3.51 are designed to deliver a common
set of capabilities - great application support, ease of use, connectivity, and
manageability. Both products provide a platform for a new generation of
Win32-based applications that provide new features and greater performance and
reliability than today's Win16-based applications.
When choosing the right operating system to deploy for your corporation, consider
the needs of the users:
- Users doing mobile computing should use Windows 95 for the plug & play,
power management, and the Windows 95 Briefcase feature.
- Developers, engineers, and other technical computer users, should choose
Windows NT Workstation.
If you have the hardware to support Windows NT, and all your applications and
devices are supported, choose Windows NT Workstation. If you have older
hardware, older applications, and older devices, choose Windows 95.
You can plan for the future by making all new hardware purchases compatible with
Windows NT Workstation.
MORE INFORMATION
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Mobile Users
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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
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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
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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
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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]).
Additional query words: prodnt 3.50 legacy megabytes megabyte virtual device driver microsoft network winnt vs nt windows
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Keywords : win95
Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version : WINDOWS:95; winnt:3.51
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