After the technology demonstration of Windows NT on PowerPC at the Comdex Fall show last year, Motorola Inc was showing a virtually complete implementation at Comdex Spring. Also on display were a few applications. Wordperfect Corp’s eponymous word processor, ProGraphics from Media Vision Technology Inc, KnowledgeWare Inc Flashpoints, Criterion Software Ltd’s RenderWare, Future Lab’s Inc […]
After the technology demonstration of Windows NT on PowerPC at the Comdex Fall show last year, Motorola Inc was showing a virtually complete implementation at Comdex Spring. Also on display were a few applications. Wordperfect Corp’s eponymous word processor, ProGraphics from Media Vision Technology Inc, KnowledgeWare Inc Flashpoints, Criterion Software Ltd’s RenderWare, Future Lab’s Inc TalkShow and Age Logic Inc’s Xoftware packages were all running, though it wasn’t clear how finished they were. The version of NT that developers currently have running on their machines – and which shipped at the beginning of April – is based on NT version 3.11. However, the version customers will eventually get will be based on the forthcoming Windows NT 3.5 release, previously codenamed Daytona. As for when it will appear, Anne-Marie Larkin, Motorola’s director of RISC software, says she is still telling customers it will be in the second half of 1994. A lot of it has to do with Microsoft’s time scale for Daytona she says, adding that the major work on the implementation is essentially complete. Ms Larkin is obviously pleased with the performance NT displays running on the PowerPC system, but says Motorola is not ready to publish performance figures. Motorola’s role has been providing the lower level tools, such as the compilers and driver-construction software launched this week. The company has had a couple of staff working with Microsoft Corp in Redmond for a year now, she says, adding that Microsoft is working purely in an engineering consultancy role on the work. Meanwhile, syster publication Client-Server News reports that Motorola has successfully booted NT on the first samples of the PowerPC 604 processor to come rolling off the production lines.