points by fredoralive 2 days ago | 0 comments
Win32s was concurrent with NT 3.1 (1993), and requires Windows 3.1 (1992) as 3.0 doesn’t know how to load PE EXEs. However it also appeared in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2 in 1991, so a Win16 version that will run on 3.0 and predates NT does exist.
[–] lproven 2 days ago
[–] toast0 2 days ago
NT prereleases started in 1991
https://winworldpc.com/product/windows-nt-3x/nt-os-2
I was not really active in computing back then, so I don't know how widely distributed these releases were, but NT was clearly gestating longer than Win32s.
[–] lproven 2 days ago
Not hugely, and on the metred local call dialup in the UK it would have been phenomenally expensive to download it.
I was working in IT and I deployed NT 3.1 in production in 1993. I never saw the betas.
Win32s was a small floppy sized thing, and some installed it just for the game, I think.
https://winworldpc.com/product/win32s/beta
Win32s beta: October 1992.
NT 3.1: July 1993.
That's long enough to gestate a human being. And back then, a year was a long time. :-)