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That was Microsoft's original plan for Windows NT: Win32, OS/2, and POSIX would be different API servers running on the NT microkernel.
by cpeterso 11y ago
That was Microsoft's original plan for Windows NT: Win32, OS/2, and POSIX would be different API servers running on the NT microkernel.
- orionblastar 11y agoThe OS/2 programs were command line only and didn't include the GUI ones. Microsoft removed the OS/2 ability in future versions of NT. Originally it was Microsoft OS/2 NT 3.0 as Microsoft wrote their own version of OS/2 shared with IBM like they did for DOS. But they added the Windows GUI to it and re-branded it as Windows NT 3.1. I think the POSIX was removed as well in a future version. I remember Windows NT 4.0 for MIPS systems, it had some sort of DOS emulation level as well. Microsoft wanted NT to be cross platform and then bailed on it and went Intel only. IBM tried OS/2 for PowerPC systems and it flopped as well.
- lukeh 11y agoActually, MS did have something called the "Windows NT Add-On Subsystem for Presentation Manager" that permitted one to run 16-bit OS/2 GUI applications.