Alternate Operating Systems
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"Exploring the *Corporate* side of Microsoft Windows' strategy"

             DOES MICROSOFT HAVE IT RIGHT WITH WINDOWS NT?
                           by Emmett Dulaney


   Microsoft has mapped an operating system strategy that allows users' 
capabilities to grow with their needs and demands. The first rung of the 
ladder is DOS. Beginning users fumble around and learn how to copy files, 
delete them, make directories and grumble, "This thing makes no sense," 
while reading the latest edition of DOS For Dummies.

   Shortly thereafter, if they stick to the Microsoft plan, they install 
Windows on their machines. Windows requires an investment in time to 
master both the concept and the interface, but the benefits are enormous. 
While space does not permit discussing the benefits of Windows 
applications over stand-alone DOS, suffice it to say that integrating 
operations in a graphical interface enhances usability.

   Once a user outgrows Windows, the next step is to install Windows for 
Workgroups. Using the same interface as regular Windows, this product adds 
the ability to incorporate peer-to-peer networking. Databases and 
peripherals can be shared between users, as well as electronic mail and a 
handful of other features. The interface looks so much like regular 
Windows, and the operations and features mirror other applications so 
much, that the time to learn the product is virtually nil.

   While good products, the one flaw of Windows and Windows for Workgroups 
is the fact that they are layered on top of regular DOS and are not 
operating systems in their own right. This is where Windows NT comes into 
the picture. Windows NT is the next step from Windows for Workgroups and 
is an operating system independent of DOS. Using an interface parallel to 
regular Windows, once again it is possible to move to the next performance 
level without the necessity of retraining. Thus, with Microsoft's 
strategy, users devote the time to learning everything they can about 
Windows and are then able to grow and upgrade their systems without the 
need for further training.

   Similar interfaces between the DOS version and the Windows NT operating 
system, however, should not be construed as signifying the products are 
similar. Quite the contrary. Windows NT (New Technology) is a true 32-bit 
operating system with file and system security and networking capabilities 
built in. The current version, 3.1, is the first release, but so numbered 
to be in line with regular Windows.


History

   When IBM released the first mass-acceptance personal computer, it 
commissioned Microsoft to provide the operating system, and Microsoft came 
up with DOS. While several competitors were in the market, the one that 
was generally recognized as a threat was Apple Computers. While DOS 
allowed you to type cryptic commands to get desired answers (you hoped), 
Apple's computers used a graphic interface to represent the same tasks to 
make the operation more understandable.

   IBM approached Microsoft about coming up with a graphical operating 
system for its product line -- this would be the second operating system 
for IBM and thus was called OS/2 -- as in Operating System number 2. 
Microsoft agreed wholeheartedly that graphics were the way to go and began 
work on OS/2. At the same time, however, much to IBM's displeasure, 
Microsoft began working on a graphic interface to go with the existing DOS 
operating system -- Windows.

   To make a long soap opera story short, IBM argued with Microsoft -- 
accusing Microsoft of giving higher priority to Windows over OS/2, and IBM 
finally took OS/2 to work on themselves. Microsoft developed and released 
Windows and was sued by Apple for copying its ideas. Apple lost the 
lawsuit because Microsoft did not pilfer ideas from the Macintosh 
interface, but actually stole them from Xerox -- the same place Apple had 
originally misappropriated its designs.

   In the meantime, PCs became more robust and able to handle more complex 
operating systems. Novell owned most of the networking market, and more 
experienced users began experimenting with UNIX on their computers (since 
UNIX is a true 32-bit operating system with more than 25 years of 
development behind it). Novell bought Unix System Laboratories and looked 
as if it could actually go somewhere with it. To counter, Microsoft turned 
Windows into an operating system resembling UNIX but offering the 
friendliness that UNIX never had. And Paul asked Cricket to the dance, but 
she still loves Danny.


Strengths

   Windows NT is incredibly easy to install, and there are only two 
package types from which to chose: CD-ROM and disks. I highly recommend 
the CD-ROM because it is the wave of the future. As cruel as it may sound, 
you are not ready to consider Windows NT if you do not have a CD-ROM drive 
available.

   Windows NT is a true 32-bit operating system capable of executing 
instructions faster than its slower 16-bit DOS and Windows counterparts. 
It is a truly secure system (meeting government C2 standards) -- requiring 
users to give a login name and password each time they start a session, 
and logoff when they finish. As with most login and password processes, 
the login name is a known variable such as Emmett or Karen. All users on 
the system know that I login using Emmett, thus if they want to send mail 
to me, they use the login name to do so. The password, on the other hand, 
is encrypted and known only by the user with the matching name. Aging 
allows passwords to expire and requires the user to enter another one -- 
providing a stumbling block for those trying to gain entry by guessing 
passwords.

   Multitasking allows multiple users to log into the operating system at 
the same time. When logged in, each can run multiple processes as well. 
Multithreading allows a processing job to be broken into components, with 
each component executing concurrently -- significantly reducing the amount 
of time it takes for a job to run, particularly background jobs.

   While being a separate operating system, Windows NT also has the 
ability to run DOS and 16-bit Windows applications that you may already 
own. While not capable of running these applications as fast as their 
native environments, Windows NT's decrease in speed is minimal. It is 
worth pointing out that regular Windows allows you to open multiple 
applications, but DOS was never designed for such. Thus when one window 
crashes, it usually crashes the others along with it. With Windows NT, 
when one window crashes, it affects only that window and no other.

   Multiple commands can be given on the command line by separating each 
with an ampersand (&). Additionally, Boolean logic can be incorporated 
into the command line as well. Separating commands with two ampersands 
(&&) causes the second part of the command to execute only if the first 
part successfully completed. Replacing the ampersands with two vertical 
bars (||) allows the second part of the command to execute only if the 
first part did not successfully complete.

   Networking capabilities are built into the operating system, with two 
different versions on the market. The first, standard Windows NT, supports 
all of the features described thus far and peer-to-peer networking 
(borrowed, if you will, from Windows for Workgroups). The second, Windows 
NT Advanced Server (which should be released by the time you read this 
article), adds the ability to store large quantities of data, as well as 
to create    enterprise-wide networks surpassing the limits of individual 
servers. This puts Windows NT in the same dedicated server, enterprise 
network arena as Novell's NetWare.


Weaknesses

   The first key weakness is a discrepancy between the lines separating 
the Windows hierarchy. How do users know when to use Windows NT versus 
regular Windows running on DOS? Which application is best for their needs?

   Add to this the fact that a new version of Windows has been promised 
for release in late 1994. Code-named Chicago, Windows 4.0 will be a stand-
alone (not needing DOS) 32-bit operating system in its own right. There is 
even discussion that the graphical interface will differ slightly from the 
current product in favor of closer emulation of OS/2's Presentation 
Manager. With the release of this product, the lines of differentiation 
between Windows and Windows NT will blur even further. Windows 4.0 will 
also possess multitasking and multithreading capabilities, and supposedly 
run Windows 3.1 applications as quickly as in their native environment.

   Not only is there another version of Windows slated for release, but 
also of Windows NT. The next release, code-named Cairo, will feature 
object orientation -- an efficiency tool missing from the current release. 
Given these components, it is no wonder sales of Windows NT are not as 
good as they might be as many corporations hold off until the next release 
of both products before deciding which one to use.

   There is a huge resource requirement necessary to run Windows NT -- 
75MB of hard-drive space and 12MB of memory are the minimums. In the real 
world, however, Windows NT crawls with only 12MB of memory -- 16MB of 
memory is a more realistic figure. (Windows 4.0, as now planned, will 
require only 4MB of memory). On the hard-drive side, 100MB is a more 
practical figure, and then you need room for applications.

   Another key weakness is the fact that while Windows NT tries to fill 
the shoes of UNIX, it is not UNIX. More than 25 years' worth of 
development have brought UNIX to where it is now, while Windows NT is 
still in its first release. Additionally, UNIX is portable to almost any 
platform, while Windows NT currently runs on only a limited number of 
platforms.

   At the present time Windows NT is still a fairly new player in the 
operating system arena and there are not a lot of applications written 
specifically for it. Yes, it will run programs written for others, such as 
regular Windows, but it runs them more slowly. Applications written 
specifically for Windows NT fly along at breakneck speed, but it is a 
trickling process by which vendors adapt existing programs.


Favorite Feature

   Gone is the limitation on filename length, by which DOS so long held 
the world. When you created files in the past, you were confined to 
filenames of between one and eight characters in length. In addition, an 
extension could be applied of up to three characters. This allowed 11 
characters to identify a file. With a handful of files on a system, 
identification is possible. When a computer user has been creating files 
for years, however, such as letters to customers, it becomes more and more 
difficult to distinguish one from another by the 11 characters.

   For example, consider the restrictions of DOS. Suppose there is a good 
customer with whom a great deal of correspondence takes place on a regular 
basis: we'll call the customer Bill Steen. With this much correspondence, 
a subdirectory can be created to hold the documents:

      C:\LETTERS\BSTEEN

Beneath that subdirectory, an attempt is made to make the documents 
recognizable by their content:

      WARRANTY.DOC
      APOLOGY1.DOC
      APOLOGY2.DOC
      NEW--ADDR.DOC
      RENEWAL.DOC
      RENEWAL.LET
      RENEWAL2.DOC

   The date and time of which each file was modified also adds some clues 
as to the content, but still there is very slim information to go on when 
attempting to locate a letter that was written years ago. A better 
solution, available in Windows NT, is to expand filenames to a maximum of 
256 characters -- including spaces and upper- and lowercase characters:


      Warranty on GE refrigerator
      Apology for failure to notify of increased premium
      Apology for running over yard ornaments on last home visit
      New address for home office
      Renewal of refrigerator warranty
      Letter of soon to expire warranty
      Second refrigerator renewal

Proper names can even be incorporated directly into the filenames, 
eliminating the need to create separate subdirectories for each client. 
This is something that has been needed since the inception of DOS.
Least Favorite Feature

   Even though graphically based, Windows NT does feature a command line 
mode. While there are a few discrepancies, such as CMD.EXE replacing 
COMMAND.COM, the command mode is essentially a mirror of DOS (CLS, DIR, 
etc.).

   The problem is that even though it is new, Windows NT is based on DOS 
5.0 commands -- lacking are all the new features added with DOS 6. These 
include CHOICE, INTERLNK, MSAV, NUMLOCK, POWER, and VSAFE.


Suggested Reading

   For additional reading on Windows NT, I highly recommend Inside Windows 
NT by John Stoddard (New Riders Press, $39.95) and Forrest Houlette's 7 
Keys to Learning Windows NT (New Riders Press, $12.95). The first is a 
reference, much like the manual, but more thought out and understandable. 
The second book uses a task-oriented approach to presenting the things you 
need to know to effectively use Windows NT.

   Speaking of the manual, one of the things I found most enjoyable is 
that the last chapter covers installation -- "Things You Need to Know 
Before Running Setup," "Preparing the Computer for Windows NT," etc. I was 
always under the impression that installation chapters should be first and 
not last. I certainly hope no one reads 500 pages from cover to cover 
before getting to the things they need to know.


Summary

   On the plus side, 32-bit Windows NT features a familiar interface, 
boots and runs without DOS, supports both multitasking and multithreading, 
has built-in networking, and a full line of security features. On the 
minus side, it requires a sizable system, runs on a limited platform and 
lacks object orientation.

   Add to that the fact that new versions of Windows and Windows NT are 
both on the calendar for release.

Windows NT: Microsoft Corp., One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, 
(800) 426-9400; $495, Advanced Server $1495. REQUIRES: 386+ CPU, 12MB RAM, 
VGA, and a hard drive with 75MB minimum.

                                  -=*=-

   Windows NT breaks away from the 11-character filename restriction that 
has so long plagued DOS and Windows. For the most part in those operating 
systems, there has been no pattern to naming conventions, with a few 
exceptions. Following is an explanation of the few defined extensions in 
those systems:

DOS

$$$  Temporary files created by a pipe (|) operation. Under normal
        circumstances, these are created and removed in operations 
        invisible to the user. Should the system or operation fail 
        during a procedure, however, the files are left on the drive.
        Two sequentially numbered files are created for each pipe used
        on the command line.
ASC  ASCII document files that can be viewed with TYPE or MORE.
BAK  Backup files.
BAS  BASIC language programs for GW BASIC or QBASIC.
BAT  Executable batch files -- ASCII format.
CHK  Lost allocation files created in the root directory by CHKDSK.
COM  Command (executable) files (under 64K in size).
CPI  Code page information files.
EXE  Executable files not restricted in size.
SYS  Device drivers.
TXT  ASCII document (text) files. This is the default extension used 
        by EDIT.


Windows

386  Enhanced mode drivers.
BMP  Bitmap graphic files.
CUR  Cursor files.
DLL  Dynamic link libraries.
DRV  Device drivers.
FON  Character set font files.
GRP  Program Manager group files.
HLP  Help files.
ICO  Icons.
INI  Startup (initialization) files.
MID  Sound files (Music Instrument Digital).
PIF  Program Information Files for DOS applications.
PCX  Graphic files.
REC  Recorder files.
VXD  Virtual device drivers.
WAV  Sound Files.

                                  -=*=-

               Emmett Dulaney is the author of several computer
            books, including *Voodoo NetWare*. He can be reached 
            at P.O. Box 353, Muncie, IN 47308, or on America 
            Online, username EDULANEY.

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