From: brian%jaguar.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Brian Sturgill)
Subject: Re: Is NT vs OS/2 really the subject?
Date: 9 Sep 92 13:15:38 MDT
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept

In article <1992Sep9.175602.840@debet.nhh.no> si0_tb90020@debet.nhh.no writes:
>Regarding the OS/2 vs NT or vice versa discussion...
>
>Is really Microsoft trying to go head to head with OS/2 with NT, or is
>OS/2 not the main competitor?
>
>The following thing makes me ask...
>
>NT is clearly a server operating system, with a lot of things bundeled
>which the traditional computer user with his PERSONAL computer will not
>need. This is mainly in the network section.
>
>NT is very hardware demanding in its base package.
>
>NT does NOT run Windows 3.X and DOS programs well enough, and therefore
>is not a competitor in the YET ANOTHER DOS MULTITASKER arena.
>
>Is really Microsoft aiming at UNIX with NT. Is it actually UNIX they are
>trying to get at?
>
>Just wondered...
>
>Terje Bergesen (Mr.)  |  SI0_TB90020@debet.nhh.no  |  terjeb@blh.no
>

The the statement I've heard most consistently from Microsoft regarding the
positioning of NT is that it for high-end desktop through high-end workstations
and servers.

Thus it is clearly positioned against Unix.  As to whether or not it is
positioned against OS/2... it depends on how you view where OS/2 is positioned.

If OS/2 really slims down to 4 megs, then clearly it hits a class of machine
that NT is not designed for.

One thing that was clear from MS's statements at the developer conference was
that Microsoft viewed NT as THE OS for everyone 2 years from now.
If you consider that in 1Q93 (when NT is likely to be released) that a 486SX
25 with 8 megs and a 200 meg drive will probably cost right at $2,000... they
are probably quite right.

I am not sure why you say that NT contains a lot of features that a Personal
Computer won't need.  Networking is already quite common at most places.
2 years from now, it should be reasonably common even in a home environment
as people buy more than one computer.  In the interim... what makes you believe
that NT won't have a selective install?  (It all ready has a minor one, 
in that you don't have to install all the networking.)  The networking
in NT's base package is designed to make setting up a SMALL
(< 2 dozen systems?) network easy.  This is perfect for small business and
the adventurous home user.

Logons (as I've explained before) are useful to anyone that shares their
computer with another person as it allows separate Desktops, colors, etc.
 
The OS-type features are helpful in attracting developers and lead
to better quality applications.

RPC is a design methodology that works on the local system as well as
remote ones.

Symmetric multiprocessing isn't very useful to the home user yet, but 5
years from now I'm not so sure.

NTFS is simply a fast modern file system.

E-Mail API's and OLE are clearly user oriented features.

In the end I would have to say it is designed for a personal workstation
that's connected to the world.

Brian
-- 
C. Brian Sturgill                       *** OS/2 2.0 is for YOU! ***
University of Utah                  Microsoft needs some competition, but
Center for Software Science        -I- want to be one of the many using NT.
brian@cs.utah.edu; CIS: 70363,1373           :-) :-) :-)