Applications for MIPS NT

[3155ffGd]

I've always been wondering how many applications exist for MIPS NT. The selection is quite limited, I know, but I'm trying to collect as much as I can find.

Stuff I could find for MIPS:

* IE3
* NT4 Resource Kit (and all tools therein)
* Visual C++ 4.0
* WinImage
* Lynx (dunno why you would use it but it's there...)
* I think there's some old version of BackOffice as well, dunno if it even installs on NT4.

So as you can see, it's not that much. Is there anything else out there, or is that it basically?

[WinPC]

louisw3 might know, and possibly also Battler, and almost certainly mrpijey.

To be honest, the reason why you can't seem to find many programs designed for Windows NT on MIPS computers probably related to the fact that MIPS computers related to a special purpose, and that is for high performance and heavy multitasking, so there was likely less general purpose software for those machines even by Windows NT's business-oriented standards.

I'm not sure whether MIPS machines were more likely to be used as workstations or servers, we'll need to ask someone about that (someone who has much more experience running Windows NT on those machines than we do). However, another issue is also that there were far fewer people running MIPS machines than those who were running PC compatible systems. The average computer Windows NT system back then was a Pentium or Pentium Pro-based computer from companies such as Dell, Compaq, Gateway, IBM, AST, ALR (Advanced Logic Research), and other such companies.

Probably, the support for MIPS machines was to provide extra compatibility, so as to allow as many workstations and servers to run the operating system as possible. But the truth remains the same that the overwhelming majority of Windows NT systems were PC compatible systems.

[danooct1]

unnecessary rambling

yes yes ok, we don't need to know the life story of the operating system and platform, he's just asking if anyone knows of any other examples of software. you have way too much free time on your hands.

[WinPC]

unnecessary rambling

yes yes ok, we don't need to know the life story of the operating system and platform, he's just asking if anyone knows of any other examples of software. you have way too much free time on your hands.

This forum has to do with the history and development of operating systems and software. I was simply explaining the reasons for why software for Windows NT on the MIPS platform is extremely difficult to find.

If people don't want to know the actual reasons for the particular situation, and if people don't want to read up on the history of operating systems, then what's the whole point of this site? And I'm NOT saying this as an attack against you of any type, just that I don't really understand the attitude against explaining the historical developments and release schedules of operating systems when the main purpose of the site is to reconstruct it as much as possible.

And even when a person requests something from a particular release, it often helps to explain the reasons for the particular situation from a professional standpoint, especially when it may also be helping people to learn from the software itself. I don't really see how this goes against the site's purpose, do you?

[3155ffGd]

I would suppose that one point is also that MIPS (and Alpha and PPC too) have near-perfect Win16 emulation, unlike the subpar performance of their x86 brethren (even XP performs worse than NT4 running on RISC in this aspect). So you could simply run your old 16-bit software, be it DOS or Windows, and be happy with it. Sure, it ran at a snail's pace but it was very much usable.

Of course, since there is a compiler you could recompile anything for MIPS or write your own apps. But good luck trying to find something that builds with VC4.

[yksoft1]

I would suppose that one point is also that MIPS (and Alpha and PPC too) have near-perfect Win16 emulation, unlike the subpar performance of their x86 brethren (even XP performs worse than NT4 running on RISC in this aspect). So you could simply run your old 16-bit software, be it DOS or Windows, and be happy with it. Sure, it ran at a snail's pace but it was very much usable.

Of course, since there is a compiler you could recompile anything for MIPS or write your own apps. But good luck trying to find something that builds with VC4.

Mini vMac does build in NT 3.51/4.0 SDK with VC 4.0 compiler however some changes are needed when building for big endian platforms.

[roytam1]

I would suppose that one point is also that MIPS (and Alpha and PPC too) have near-perfect Win16 emulation, unlike the subpar performance of their x86 brethren (even XP performs worse than NT4 running on RISC in this aspect). So you could simply run your old 16-bit software, be it DOS or Windows, and be happy with it. Sure, it ran at a snail's pace but it was very much usable.

Of course, since there is a compiler you could recompile anything for MIPS or write your own apps. But good luck trying to find something that builds with VC4.

Mini vMac does build in NT 3.51/4.0 SDK with VC 4.0 compiler however some changes are needed when building for big endian platforms.

Win NT for RISC always running in little endian mode, so no worries.

[GL1zdA]

There were versions of Lightwave and Softimage for the MIPS NT. Here are some links I have found months ago about Softimage for MIPS NT

Microsoft Introduces Major Upgrade to Softimage 3D
Microsoft Delivers High-End 3-D Animation Software for Microsoft Windows NT
- but you will need an OpenGL accelerator with MIPS NT drivers.

You have to disable JavaScript for archive.org to view the next two, or it will kick you to the current Autodesk website:
Softimage Hardware Requirements
Softimage Certified Graphics Cards - nothing mentioned about 3D accelerators for MIPS, but the Dynamic Pictures V192 does have MIPS NT drivers (you can probably still download them from 3Dlabs website).

A website mentioning Lightwave for MIPS NT:
http://www.rabayjr.com/Amiga/Flyer_Faq/ ... /mips.html

[pittical]

Dependency Walker has a MIPS build available:
http://dependencywalker.com/

[The Distractor]

Dependency Walker has a MIPS build available:
http://dependencywalker.com/

Along with builds for every other architecture NT supported except for ARM.

I don't think any build of NT for axp64 is widely available lol.

[orsg]

Well that's an interesting find.

Here's the output of GNU file on axp32:

Code: Select all

depends.dll: PE32 executable (DLL) (GUI) Alpha, for MS Windows
depends.exe: PE32 executable (GUI) Alpha, for MS Windows

in contrast to axp64:

Code: Select all

depends.dll: PE32+ executable (DLL) (GUI) Unknown processor type 0x284, for MS Windows
depends.exe: PE32+ executable (GUI) Unknown processor type 0x284, for MS Windows

Now we just need a suitable alpha build

[louisw3]

googleing around for axp64 letd me to finding this:

http://web.itu.edu.tr/~dalyanda/mssecre ... tartup.htm

An internal document for post Windows 2000 development, and how to connect to the source control servers. And of course what branches are available (i386/ia64/alpha64)... I thought it was funny that theyhad x86 & ia64 stuff online, but the alpha build lab had no power. Maybe by December 1999 the Alpha wasn't as important. Or they got more machines from Compaq and needed more power. who knows.

Also check out this TXTSETUP_2K

http://reboot.pro/index.php?app=core&mo ... ch_id=6282

[SourceDisksFiles.axp64]
a121165.p64 = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
a221164.p64 = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
a221264.p64 = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
halmiata.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
haleb164.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
halsx164.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
halxl.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
hallx164.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
halrawmp.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
halpinna.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
haltsump.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
haltsuup.dll = 1,,,,,,_x,1,3
osloader.exe = 2,,,,,,,1,3

[louisw3]

Oh and for the MIPS, Exchange 4.0, SNA server 2.11 (I believe), SQL Server 4.21 & 6.0 and not a heck of a lot more.

Even Office 4.2 for WindowsNT only had i386 & Alpha. There was a coupon for MIPS/PowerPC, but I don't think they ever shipped word/excel for the MIPS. I know they demo'd it, and talked about it, but I don't think they shipped it. The MIPS made a minor splash on walstreet back in the 3.1 days, and in Japan since NEC sold a MIPS NT box (I think?)... But after that things dried up quick when people saw how it ran win16 apps which was pretty much everything at that point. Heck even in 1993 you had to be a special kind of crazy to run Windows NT.

[orsg]

I thought it was funny that theyhad x86 & ia64 stuff online, but the alpha build lab had no power. Maybe by December 1999 the Alpha wasn't as important.

Although Alpha was not to be released 64bit, development for Itanic could not start that early, because the project got delayed. Rumor has it, that they used alpha instead to develop an initial 64bit port, that would at least save some work for the actual Itanic version.

[GL1zdA]

I thought it was funny that theyhad x86 & ia64 stuff online, but the alpha build lab had no power. Maybe by December 1999 the Alpha wasn't as important.

Although Alpha was not to be released 64bit, development for Itanic could not start that early, because the project got delayed. Rumor has it, that they used alpha instead to develop an initial 64bit port, that would at least save some work for the actual Itanic version.

It's not a rumor: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/maga ... ntial.aspx