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By Joseph C. Panettieri
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NT Everywhere? It Could Happen Yet
When Microsoft first released Windows NT Advanced Server three years ago, critics wondered whether the software titan could extend its dominance from the desktop to the server. Now, the opposite may be happening as NT marches from the server to the desktop and, to a lesser extent, the laptop.
By most estimates, NT shipments are doubling annually. Its installed base, including servers and desktops, now tops 2.5 million. Customers using NT across the board should find their support burden eased, but they'll also get locked into Microsoft's architecture across the enterprise.
Eager for a piece of the action, Compaq, Dell, Digital, Hewlett-Packard and IBM are among those vying to be your enterprise NT vendor. In late August, Dell introduced what it said were the first Pentium Pro machines with NT 4.0 preloaded. In October, Compaq shipped the ProLiant 2500, a 200MHz Pentium Pro server that supports up to 1GB of RAM, remote management, fast Ethernet and NT 4.0. In fact, most major vendors will soon ship NT 4.0 on servers and workstations. The question is which company preloads NT 4.0 on laptops, and which one offers the best NT support overall.
One possibility may surprise you. Digital, one of the last manufacturers to embrace the PC, has become the first to offer an "NT everywhere" strategy. In September the company unveiled a line of completely revamped hardware-from servers to laptops-preloaded with NT 4.0. The new HiNote Ultra II laptops offer Advanced Power Management (APM) for NT and even some support for Plug-and-Play. Microsoft itself won't have those on NT for at least a year.
The new laptops feature either a Pentium 133MHz or 150MHz processor, a removable 1.35GB or 1.44GB hard drive, and an 11.3-inch screen. About 10 to 15 percent of the company's high-end laptops ship with NT. Digital expects that figure to top 50 percent by the end of 1997.
Digital won't be alone. Dell expects to offer NT 4.0 as an option on its Latitude XPi and LF laptop lines. And IBM has just unveiled the ThinkPad 760, which has NT 4.0 preloaded along with a 150MHz Pentium processor, 12.1-inch screen, 6X CD-ROM, 2.1GB hard drive and 16MB of RAM. IBM officials say the days of "Select-A-System"-machines with both OS/2 Warp and Windows preloaded-are over; NT will play an increasingly important role in its portable plans. By December the company says it will offer updated Mwave, MPEG, infrared and APM support for NT laptops.
The vendors will also probably try to bring other strengths to the table. Digital earns strong points for its scalable NT work-stations and servers based on its Alpha chips, a clear NT strategy, and extensive service and support offerings. Hewlett-Packard, meanwhile, is working with Microsoft to help get NT running at major sites.
For some, Microsoft's Win32 momentum triggers memories of IBM's heyday, when virtually all enterprise gear was painted Blue. The PC was supposed to foster diversity. And for now, options still abound: UNIX continues to dominate the enterprise application server space, and despite Novell's many woes, NetWare remains popular as a file, print and directory server. But the future may look very different.
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