From: john@abode.ttank.com (John Gibbons)
Subject: WANTED: Info about Windows NT for new user..
Reply-To: john@iotm.ttank.com
Organization: Abode Computer Systems
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 03:57:16 GMT


 Hi,

   I have been a happy owner of an Amiga 2000 for several years now and it has
always served me well. However times are changing and I have been interested
in moving to a new computer with a new multitasking operating system. Well
after an initial look at Windows 3.0 (3.1?) I wasn't impressed. Well actually
I WAS impressed with its look and several other things, but it didn't even
come close to giving me the multitasking versatility of my Amiga. So I then
decided to just wait it out and see what comes next.. Well low and behold I
was given word of windows NT. This (From what I was told) is supposed to be
a brand spanking (replace dos) operating system. Everything will multitask
without a hassle and it's faster, blah, blah, blah.. So taking all of this
into consideration I decided to post this in hope for some verification.

 One note. I am aware that Windows NT isn't yet available (or so I was told)
so I am willing to listen to speculation so long as it is based in fact.

  I really only use my Amiga for a few things. Telecommunications, UUCP
software, Word proccessing, audio sampling, "hacking around", and simple
programming. Now any computer now a days can do all of this stuff, but I
virtually designed half of my system. Writting Arexx programs to interlink
my software together so my terminal software and UUCP software and text
editors could all talk to each other and act as one program. Also I have
rewritten a lot of the standard amiga "DOS" commands via Arexx to totally
customize my system. So the idea of switching to another totally new system
is scary since I may never be able to make my new system work as easily as
my old.

  So, with that in mind I have a few questions about Windows NT.

One note, I don't want to hear, "Why don't you just upgrade your Amiga".
I don't want an Amiga anymore, that's why! :-)

1) Can I simply take ANY program for the pc (commercial or PD) and simply
run it in this windowed multitasking environment without "setting" anything
up? With windows I believe you have to set things up just to run a DOS
program with windows. I want TRUE multitasking without any hassles.

2) Is there a REXX language interpreter for Windows NT? If not has there
been any talk of this. (I know I should post to comp.lang.rexx)

3) Is there a good UUCP/News implementation developed for Windows that is
either shareware or PD (I'd be interested in commercial ones too but all
my Amiga stuff is FIRST rate pd)

4) On the Amiga I can run a program in a window, or I can run a program with
its own unique "Screen". This screen can have an allowable resolution or
colors etc. I can at any given time either use the mouse to "drag" one screen
down and watch another (or several other) screen(s) and their programs and
use either one or flip screens with mouse gadgets or keyboard commands. This
to me is much preferable over running everything in a window on one screen.
This can get very confusing and cluttered. Incidentally I was told that
windows NT has "Screens" like the Amiga and it is easy to use. (I was also
told that Windows 3.1 had these too but were more difficult to use).

5) What about Dos restrictions? Does NT get rid of the memory limits and the
cheesy 12 character filenames all in upper case? etc.. etc..

6) Is NT actually faster than 3.1? What other basic improvements have taken
place.

7) What are the system requirements? I run an Amiga 2000 at 7.16mhz with 3megs
of ram and a 40meg hard drive. This does everything I've asked NT to do but
of course the software base doesn't compare to that of a PC. Not to mention
that my amiga is a little slow and outdate. What will it take to get a good 
fast NT system going?

8) Finally can someone email me (note the reply-to: header) any offical
release info on NT in case I forgot to ask something?


 Thanks in advance to all who reply, I really appreciate any help I can
get. For those replying by email note the reply-to: header, send all
email to john@iotm.ttank.com

Thanks,
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.misc