Windows NT (both the Workstation and Server) is a 32-bit
Operating System. It is a
preemptive,
multi-tasking Operating System, which means that the Operating System controls allocation of
CPU time, not the applications, stopping one application from hanging the
OS.
NT supports multiple CPU's giving true Multi-tasking, using
symmetrical multiprocessing, meaning the processors share all tasks, as opposed to
asymmetrical multiprocessing, where the OS uses one CPU and the applications another. NT is also a
Fault Tolerant Operating System, with each 32bit application operating in its own
Virtual Memory address space (4
GigaBytes) which means one application cannot interfere with another's memory space.
Unlike earlier version of
Windows (such as
Windows for Workgroups and
Windows 95), NT is a complete Operating System, and not an addition to
DOS.
NT supports different CPU's:
Intel x86, IBM
PowerPC (Not to be supported for NT5.0) and DEC
Alpha.
NT's other main plus is its Security with a special NT file system (
NTFS) that allows permissions to be set on a file and directory basis.