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Best Network Operating System

Novell Sharpens Its Competitive Edge

Despite the considerable challenge of Microsoft's Windows NT 3.5 released in 1994, Novell NetWare 4.1 gets the nod for our Well-Connected Award.
While NT comes with a number of significant features not offered in NetWare 4.1 (including built-in remote access support, DHCP-based TCP/IP transport for all networking functions and, perhaps most intriguing, a robust and scalable operating system that is extremely capable as an application platform), NetWare has several features NT doesn't offer. These features include server-based routing of all protocols, remote control of server platforms and efficient DOS client support.
Moreover, NetWare 4.1 offers comparable or better support for the wide variety of services required of an enterprise NOS. NetWare Directory Services (NDS), in particular, has finally grown robust enough to function across the enterprise. Security options include disk quota support that Microsoft inexplicably forgot in NT. NetWare's file service performance still beats the competition, particularly when all client platforms are considered. NetWare supports more client environments than the others, including DOS, Windows, OS/2, Macintosh and Unix desktop environments.
NetWare also still leads by a wide margin in third-party support, both in software and hardware products that can augment the functionality of the NetWare environment. There are more backup and storage options, more management utilities and more NOS-aware applications for NetWare than any other NOS. It also has the drop on its competition when it comes to finding qualified personnel to handle support and installation tasks.
NetWare still is king of the network operating systems. It's back from the shock of the original 4.x release, stable and swift, able to handle the enterprise. Our only complaint is that it still costs too much.

NetWare 4.1, $1,095 and up,
Novell, 122 E. 1700 South, Provo,
UT 84606. (800) NETWARE;
fax (800) 638-9273.

Runners-Up
NetWare 3.12, Novell,
122 E. 1700 South, Provo, UT 84606.
(800) NETWARE; fax (800) 638-9273.

Windows NT Server 3.5,
Microsoft Corp., One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399.
(206) 882-8080; fax (206) 93-MSFAX.