Here are the major enhancements that Microsoft claims will be available in
the final release of NT 4.0. All these enhancements are in beta 2.
Windows 95 user interface is, as we all know by now, the OS GUI that
is the first major point of convergence between Win95 and Windows NT.
Internet Explorer (IE) 2.0 is an improved, but not the latest and
greatest, implementation of Microsoft's Web browser. If you want ActiveX
capability or support for Netscape plug-ins, download IE 3.0. This situation
could change before the final shipment of NT 4.0.
Windows Explorer is a graphical utility for exploring files and
directories on your system. This utility works just like Explorer in Win95.
Microsoft Exchange is the client-side implementation of the
multipurpose mail reader.
Hardware profiles let you set up several hardware configurations for
one system. This capability addresses the dynamic needs of laptop computers that
support docking bays.
NetWare Directory Services (NDS)-Aware NetWare Client is a pumped-up
version of Microsoft's NetWare client that now understands the NDS structures in
NetWare 4.x.
Distributed Object Component Model (DCOM) is the official name for
the long-awaited implementation of network OLE and provides object recognition
and activation over the network.
DirectX is a set of APIs that gives game developers improved access
to hardware resources (video, sound, etc.) so they can achieve the best possible
performance.
Peer Web Services (don't be fooled by the name) is really Internet
Information Server (IIS) running under NT Workstation.
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) lets you establish a
connection for native NT file and print services over the Internet or another
intervening TCP/IP network.
Logon using dial-up networking lets you log on to a system through a
remote domain controller, just as you can log on through a LAN-based domain
controller.
NT 4.0 also features minor enhancements to many accessories, utilities, and
Control Panel options. For non-Intel systems, NT 4.0 includes a 486 emulator so
that you can run well-behaved Intel-based 16-bit software on a non-Intel system.
Finally, one significant non-enhancement is the termination of support for
OS/2's High Performance File System (HPFS).