It doesn't matter that Win95 is not a brand new operating system, as Microsoft initially claimed. Since most of us depend - right now - on tried-and-true DOS and Windows 3.1 compatible applications, this may not be all that terrible. It would be far worse if Win95 was incompatible with our existing applications; and Win95 seems to run most existing DOS and Windows scientific and engineering applications just fine.
On the other hand, while there are a number of compelling reasons for scientists and engineers to upgrade to Win95 - whether they're using DOS, Windows or even UNIX - Win95 also exacts its "pound of flesh." Here's how things look from a scientific and engineering point of view.
Finally, 32-bits or else. A compelling reason for scientists and engineers to move to Win95 is 32-bit processing. Long available on UNIX workstations and only recently on PCs running Win32s and NT, 32-bit applications like Autocad, SigmaPlot or Macsyma usually get an immediate performance boost. That's because they, unlike many business applications, use large integers (i.e. floating point) and manipulate large datasets. The faster you can crunch the numbers or draw the design, the faster you get your job done. Almost all native Win95 scientific applications will run faster than their Win 3.1 counterparts and should rival native DOS application performance. Thank you, Microsoft, for requiring that Win95 logo applications be 32-bits and pushing developers to write 32-bit code.
My next favorite feature: Long File Names. One of the most useful and time-saving features is the ability to give files just about any name you want, including spaces and special characters. You'll find that Long File Names save you time and make finding lost files easy. If Win95 had but one feature that Win 3.1 didn't, Long File Names, it would be worth the upgrade.
Looks aren't everything. While the new user interface is attractive and can make your computing more pleasurable, it will also make you more productive because of its well-thought-out design. However learning something new has its costs and frustrations, and many Windows users might want to stick with what they're accustomed to. I wouldn't make the move for the GUI alone.
Aaaaah Graphics. For SET software users, Win95 (and NT) offer interfaces to hardware acceleration (3D-DDI) and OLE extensions that make it easier to use 3D objects. These will prove to be of immense value to SET graphics software users as they will enable the implementation of third-party APIs (like Autodesk Hoops) and, finally, OpenGL. Microsoft is planning to ship OpenGL DLLs a few months after Win95 ships. These interfaces will make it far easier for developers to write 3D applications. The impact of the 3D OLE extensions, aptly called OLE for Design and Modeling, depends ultimately on their robustness...currently the interface doesn't support illumination, which can be a fatal deficiency for some applications.
The applications will be there. It looks like SET applications that leverage Win95 are going to be available soon. Expect Absoft Fortran, MathCAD, Maple, Mathematica, SigmaPlot, SigmaStat, MS-Fortran, MS-C++, to name but a few products, to be available in the fourth quarter of 1995. Not to mention non-SET products like 1-2-3, MS-Office, Visio, WinFax Pro, Mosaic, Stacker, Harvard Graphics, dBase, etc.
Migration worries? While we've all seen study and counter study estimating the cost of migrating from Windows 3.1 to Win95, let's be realistic: most of us choose our own PCs and the software that runs on them. SET software buyers have always computed in a heterogeneous environment and have rarely been reluctant to try something new that could help us improve the quality of our work. Win95 may be new, but its far from unproven, untested or bizarre. Adopting Win95 early poses few risks and the installation is no big deal. Read the article on Migration Strategies for more details.
Let's talk hardware. While Win95 is strictly an Intel X86 "thang", Plug-and-Play support holds the promise of eliminating jumpers, dip switches, IRQ conflicts and the dreaded CONFIG.SYS. Plug-and-Play promises to make your PC more, well, Mac-like. With a combination of Plug-and-Play software (Win95 and upgraded apps that can respond to system events) and Plug-and-Play hardware (BIOS, Peripherals), all you need to do is plug in the new device and Win95 will recognize it and configure it. This is especially useful for portables as it makes docking and un-docking a no-brainer. Plug-and-Play can still pay off even if you have old hardware because Win95 makes installations easier.
Ultimedia. Win95 is the ultimate multimedia computer - which is one reason why its going to sell like hotcakes in the consumer market. Win95 includes features for slickly integrating full motion video into applications with great ease. Let's hope that SET developers also take advantage of these features.
Do you have a need for speed? Be prepared to wait...maybe for Version 1.1. Win95's performance wont blow you away - expect it to be about the same as Win 3.1 give or take 10%. While you may see computation-intensive applications run faster, most others will run a bit more slowly. Microsoft says Win95 will run on a 386 with 4MB of RAM: don't waste your time. Just like Win 3.1, Win95 should be run on a 486 with at least 8MB of RAM. If you currently have 8MB you should seriously consider upgrading to 16, especially if you solve large problems or if you work with several applications open at the same time. If you do run several applications at once, you can say good-bye to that frustrating "Out of Memory" message and stop worrying about UAEs.
All-in-all, we give Win95 release 1.0 "2 thumbs up." We recommend that you rush out and install it, as soon as the major scientific and engineering applications you use become available for it. You'll find it well worth the cost and migration effort.
Ken K.
© 1996 Scitech International, Inc. All rights reserved
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