Windows NT will have limited ability to run existing MSDOS and Windows 3.1 applications, and rather than provide compatibility for all MS-DOS and Windows applications, Microsoft Corp officials say they will focus support efforts on ‘major’ MS-DOS and Windows 3.1 applications, Microbytes Daily reports; furthermore, software vendors will have to provide either upgrades or new device drivers for entire classes of programs, such as 3270 emulators; MS-DOS and Windows programs that perform direct disk access, such as many backup programs, won’t run at all; NT will support video and modem boards, serial and parallel port input output and standard access to disk drives; some of the support lacking in NT is already available in OS/2 2.0, they say, such as the ability to access add-in boards and other specialised hardware from MS-DOS, and the ability to run graphical MS-DOS applications in a window on iAPX86 kit.
