Microsoft to release NT 5.0
Distributors are once again confronted with that timeless question, "To upgrade or not to upgrade?"
By Doug Harper -- Industrial Distribution, 3/1/1998
If Bill Gates is worried about the U.S. Department of Justice's prosecution of Microsoft for monopolistic practices, you would never know it from the way the boys in Bellevue are pushing operating system software.Microsoft has just released a Beta of version 5.0 of its operating system, NT, which will ship by mid-1998. The new version of NT will, like previous versions, be available in Server and Workstation variants. While Microsoft declines to specify exact numbers, the company says that sales of NT Workstation have been increasing at an annual rate of 177 percent.
Although the underlying architecture of Windows '98 and NT 5.0 have little in common, their interfaces bear a strong family resemblance (see "Can You Wait For Win '98?," ID, October '97). Win '98 is expected to be available a few months before NT 5.0 hits the market.
As with Win '98, the integration of Web browser and operating system in NT 5.0 becomes pronounced. In fact, some industry humorists claim that if Microsoft is able to totally blend its Internet Explorer into its OS, the Justice Department's case against Microsoft will become moot. ("We don't force OEMs to buy our Web browser, Ms. Reno. In fact, we don't even sell a separate browser!")
In any case, the new NT features an Internet Connection "Wizard'' which provides a rapid way of accessing the Web. Internet Explorer 4.0 is also integrated into NT 5.0 and the OS interface can be configured to resemble the Web browser. You can gain access to the Web from the taskbar and NT's "Start'' menu contains a folder of your favorite bookmarks.
By the same token, NT 5.0's Explorer features "Forward and Back'' buttons which allow you to navigate through folders and shortcuts, a vast improvement over the current Explorer which allows you to rise through the file hierarchy but not to go deeper.
The new version of NT is expected to be compatible with all NT 4.0 software, virtually all Win '98 software, most Win '95 programs, much of the software written for all Windows programs above 2.0 and some DOS programs.
Microsoft has announced that it will publish a directory of peripherals and software that are compatible with its new operating system. Manufacturers of products that are compatible with both NT 5.0 and Win '98 will be permitted to affix a sticker on the package designating that they are "Designed for Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0.''
But as with all versions of NT, the OS is resource intensive. The 5.0 Beta version requires a minimum of 16MB of RAM, although 24-32 is preferable. Microsoft also recommends a fast 486-compatible processor, although a fast Pentium or Pentium-compatible is also preferable. In addition, installation of the program requires 275MB of space on your hard drive.
NT Workstation 5.0 features support for three file systems: the NT File System (NTFS); the 16-bit File Allocation Table (FAT) and the 32-bit File Allocation Table (FAT32). Distributors deciding which file system to install will have to weigh the tradeoffs between using NTFS with its superior security features, and using FAT and FAT32 which offer greater compatibility with older Windows and DOS programs.
While Microsoft has not announced pricing for NT 5.0, it's expected to be similar to the cost of NT 4.0, which carried a "street'' price of about $300 for the Workstation program and $1,100 for the Server licensed for 10 users. It is a foregone conclusion that purchasers of 4.0 will be able to obtain an upgrade to 5.0 at a substantially reduced price.
So in what is becoming almost an annual ritual, distributors are once again confronted with that timeless decision: "To upgrade or not to upgrade?'' But the answer may be found in the equally immortal words of another slightly more anonymous bard who cautioned that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.''
Whatever operating system you've installed should suffice to send your comments to dharper@interport.net.
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