SLIDE 1

Introduction

(There are screenshots of different windows GUIs cascaded below the intro picture)

Windows NT4 was like introduction of Windows 95 GUI to NT series platform. It had most of the
applications introduced with Windows 95 and is the last version of Windows to support Alpha, MIPS
PowerPC CPU architecture.

Windows ME was the successor of windows 98 specifically targeted on home PC users. Microsoft
updated GUI and many shell features provided many new enhancements in user experience.

Windows XP was the first consumer-oriented OS from Microsoft for PCs including home/business
desktops/laptops and media centers. It had significantly redesigned GUI and was provided much more
user friendliness.
Windows Vista and 7 are the latest versions of Windows which provide enhanced facilities than older
versions designed to be user-centric. Also build upon NT architecture it had many new additions
codenamed Longhorn.

Windows 8 is anticipated to be released by 2012. Microsoft has announced that it would support
System on Chip and mobile ARM processors.

Mobile OSs

Windows CE is an embedded version of OS optimized for devices that have minimal storage. It is a Real
Time OS with deterministic interrupt latency.

Windows Phone 7 is a mobile operating system primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the
enterprise market.
 SLIDE 2
NT Architecture

NT Architecture is based around two modes KERNEL MODE and USER MODE.

KERNEL mode

The KERNEL mode has close proximity with the hardware and hence unrestricted access. Therefore all
interactions with external devices or any other hardware systems are done through KERNEL mode.

The components grouped under the name Executive are responsible for I/O, object/process
management and security.

Object manager provides resource management service through which all systems calls for resources
should pass through.
Kernel deals with multiprocessor synchronization, thread/interrupt scheduling/dispatching and
exception dispatching.

Hardware Abstraction Layer contains hardware specific codes to provide kernel a consisting platform to
run by hiding hardware differences.

USER mode

USER mode is where the programs are limited and hence if they have to access hardware resources or
memory, it has to pass I/O request to the corresponding kernel mode driver the I/O manager in the
kernel mode. So the kernel mode prevents user mode services or applications from accessing hardware
or critical operating system areas if they are not privileged to access.

Environment Sub system in user mode enables running of software for different platforms and Integral
Sub System is used to provide specific functions to environment sub system.