Editing Windows NT 3.1 (section)

=== As Windows NT ===
In May 1990, Microsoft released [[Windows 3.0]], a new version of its MS-DOS-based [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] [[desktop environment]]. Windows 3.0 sold well, and the resulting shift in Microsoft's marketing strategy eroded their partnership with IBM—who wanted Microsoft to concentrate solely on developing OS/2 as its primary platform as opposed to building their future business around Windows.<ref name="ZacharyShowstopper"/>{{rp|page=100}} Users and developers were unsure of whether to adopt Windows or OS/2 due to these uncertainties (a situation magnified by the fact that the operating systems were incompatible with each other at the [[Application programming interface|API]] level), while Microsoft's resources were also being drained by the simultaneous development of multiple operating systems.<ref name="Custer1993"/>{{rp|pages=98–99}}<ref name="IW27May1991_S66">{{cite journal | last=Glass | first=Brett | title=Windows, OS/2 debate is still a hot topic: Software vendors with limited resources are still forced to choose between Windows and OS/2 development | journal=InfoWorld | volume=13 | issue=21 | date=1991-05-27 | pages=66 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66}}</ref> In August 1990, as a response to the popularity of Windows 3.0, the NT OS/2 team decided to re-work the operating system to use an extended [[32-bit]] port of the [[Windows API]] known as Win32. Win32 maintained the familiar structure of the [[16-bit]] APIs used by Windows, which would allow developers to easily adapt their software for the new platform while maintaining a level of compatibility with existing software for Windows.<ref name="IW8Jul1991_S1_103">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=Microsoft drops OS/2 2.0 API, revamps 32-bit Windows plan: Users face choice between OS/2 and Windows NT | journal=InfoWorld | volume=13 | issue=27 | date=1991-07-08 | pages=1, 103 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iVAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1}}</ref> With the shift to a Windows-like architecture, the operating system's [[Shell (computing)|shell]] was also changed from OS/2's [[Presentation Manager]] to Windows' [[Program Manager]].<ref name="ZacharyShowstopper"/>{{rp|pages=102–105}}

Due to these changes, NT was not presented at COMDEX 1990 as was originally planned.<ref name="ZacharyShowstopper"/>{{rp|page=102}} Neither the general public nor IBM knew about the transformation of NT OS/2 into ''Windows NT'' at the time.<ref name="ZacharyShowstopper"/>{{rp|page=108}} Although the companies did agree to a revised partnership where IBM and Microsoft would alternate developing major versions of OS/2 instead of collaborating on each version,<ref name="IW24Dec1990_S8">{{cite journal | last=Parker | first=Rachel | title=Two giants with own views: IBM needs OS/2; Microsoft does Windows| journal=InfoWorld | volume=12 | issue=52 | date=1990-12-24 | pages=8 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=sFAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8}}</ref> IBM eventually learned of Microsoft's Windows NT plans in January 1991, and immediately ended the OS/2 partnership. IBM would solely develop OS/2 2.0 (as was planned under the amended version) and all future versions, without any further involvement from Microsoft.<ref name="Custer1993" />{{rp|pages=108–109}}<ref name="IW8Jul1991_S1_103" />

In October 1991, Windows NT received its first public demonstration at COMDEX. In an effort to ensure software taking advantage of Windows NT was available upon its release (scheduled for late-1992), Microsoft also distributed a 32-bit [[software development kit]] to selected developers in attendance.<ref name="ZacharyShowstopper"/>{{rp|page=165}}<ref name="IW28Oct1991_S1_8">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=NT looks real at Comdex: Microsoft declares it will start beta tests in early 1992 | journal=InfoWorld | volume=13 | issue=43 | date=1991-10-28 | pages=1, 8 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dT0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1}}</ref> The demonstration was positively received; [[PC Magazine]] called Windows NT "the modern reinvention of the operating system", but at the same time claimed that it was unlikely that the promised [[backward compatibility]] would be kept for the final release.<ref name="Custer1993" />{{rp|pages=175–176}}<ref name="PCMag26Nov1991_S8586">{{cite journal| last=Machrone | first=Bill | title=Are NT Promises MT Promises? | journal=PC Magazine | volume=10 | issue=20 | date=1991-11-26 | pages=85f |issn=0888-8507 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wEufoGXlUxUC}}</ref> In March 1992, Microsoft also released [[Win32s]], which would allow [[Windows 3.1]] to have partial compatibility with Windows NT programs for the purposes of developing software optimized for the platform.<ref name="IW2Mar1992_S1_107">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=Microsoft reveals 32-bit strategy: Win32s lets NT applications run on Windows 3.1 | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=9 | date=1992-03-02 | pages=1, 107 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9z0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1}}</ref>

At Microsoft's [[Professional Developers Conference|Win32 Professional Developers Conference]] in June 1992, Windows NT was demonstrated running on x86 and MIPS processors, while a beta version of Windows NT and an updated development kit were also made available.<ref name="IW13Jul1992_S1_92">{{cite journal | last=Strehlo | first=Kevin | title=Microsoft makes its move with Windows NT SDK | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=28 | date=1992-07-13 | pages=1, 92 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=elEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1}}</ref> Concurrently, Microsoft announced a new version of its [[Microsoft SQL Server|SQL Server]] product for Windows NT; Unix vendors feared that the software could be a [[killer app]] that would affect the market share of Unix systems.<ref name="IW20Jul1992_S8">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=SDK readied for SQL Server for NT: Will speed writing of 32-bit code | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=29 | date=1992-07-20 | pages=8 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IlEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8}}</ref><ref name="IW14Dec1992_S8">{{cite journal | last1=Hammett | first1=Jim | last2=McCarthy | first2=Vance | title=Unix vendors strike out at Microsoft: Campaign seeks to steal thunder of Windows NT | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=50 | date=1992-12-14 | pages=8 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=S1EEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8}}</ref> Concerns were also raised over NT's memory usage; while most computers of the era shipped with 4 megabytes of [[Random-access memory|RAM]], 16 MB was recommended for NTs. Due to the high cost of RAM at the time, critics thought that its high system requirements could affect the sales and adoption of Windows NT. Steps were taken to reduce its memory usage through methods such as [[paging]].<ref name="Custer1993"/>{{rp|page=227–249}}

Microsoft began releasing public beta builds of NT in October 1992, and a month later at COMDEX, a presentation focusing on third-party software for Windows NT was held.<ref name="IW12Oct1992_S17">{{cite journal | last=Willett | first=Shawn | title=NT's delays mean a second look and respect for OS/2 | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=41 | date=1992-10-12 | pages=17 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=n1EEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17}}</ref><ref name="IW26Oct1992_S3">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=Microsoft rolls out Windows NT beta | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=43 | date=1992-10-26 | pages=3 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=hFEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3}}</ref><ref name="IW23Nov1992_S3">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=Vendors throw support behind Windows NT | journal=InfoWorld | volume=14 | issue=47 | date=1992-11-23 | pages=3 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LlEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3}}</ref> The final pre-release version of NT was released in March 1993, alongside the unveiling of the server version, ''LAN Manager for Windows NT''. Although its stability and performance had improved, there were still fears that the OS could be released in an unfinished state or delayed further into 1993.<ref name="IW5Apr1993_S3">{{cite journal | last=Johnston | first=Stuart J. | title=NT is shaping up, say latest beta users: But they want a bug-free final version, even if it's late | journal=InfoWorld | volume=15 | issue=14 | date=1993-04-05 | pages=3 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ODwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3}}</ref><ref name="IW31May1993_S13">{{cite journal | last1=Willett | first1=Shawn | last2=Borzo | first2=Jeanette | title=Users praise NT's graphics support at Comdex | journal=InfoWorld | volume=15 | issue=22 | date=1993-05-31 | pages=13 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13}}</ref>

By [[Brand extension|extending]] the Windows brand and beginning NT at [[Software versioning|version]] 3.1, like [[Windows 3.1]] which had established [[brand recognition]] and [[market share]], Microsoft implied that consumers should expect a familiar [[user experience]] yet re-engineered.