Win32 Platform Differences

The following table contains a variety of Win32 API and operating system features and how each platform supports them. Bold text indicates an operating system feature, rather than an API feature.

Feature Windows NT Windows 95 Windows 3.1 with Win32s
32-bit Coordinate System Yes No No
32-bit Flat Memory model Yes Yes Yes
3-D look Yes Yes Yes
Asynchronous file I/O Yes No No
Asynchronous input model Yes Yes No
COMM Yes Yes Via Universal Thunk
Common Controls
Property sheet
tabs
Yes Yes Yes
Drag list boxes Yes Yes Yes
Toolbar Yes Yes Yes
Status bar Yes Yes Yes
Column
heading
Yes Yes Yes
Spin buttons Yes Yes Yes
Slider Yes Yes Yes
Scrolling button
indicator
Yes Yes Yes
Rich Edit
Control
Yes Yes Yes
Progress
indicator
Yes Yes Yes
Tree View Yes Yes Yes
List View Yes Yes Yes
Common Dialogs Yes Yes Yes
Console Support Yes Except code page No
Context menu on mouse button 2 Yes Yes Yes
Enhanced metafiles Yes Yes No
Event logging Yes No No
File mapping Yes Yes Yes
File merge/reconciliation Yes Yes No
File Viewers Yes Yes Not used
Image Color Matching (ICM) Not yet Yes No
Long Filenames (LFN) Yes Yes Won't appear
Multimedia API Yes Yes Windows 3.1 level
Multiprocessor Machines Yes No No
Named pipes Yes Client-side Client-side
National Language Support (NLS) Yes Yes Yes
Network DDE Yes Via Thunk No
Non-Intel machines Yes No No
Paths/Beziers Yes Limited No
Pen No Yes No
Plug and Play event aware Won't get events Yes Won't get events
Preemptive multitasking Yes Yes No
Print spooler Yes Except forms No
Remote Access Services (RAS) Yes Yes No
Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) Yes Yes Via thunk
Security Yes No No
Security (C2 certifiable) Yes No No
Separate address space Yes Yes No
Service control manager Yes No No
Simple MAPI Yes Yes Via Universal Thunk
Structured exception handling (SEH) Yes Yes Yes
TAPI Yes Yes No
Threads Yes Yes No
Unicode Yes No No
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) Yes Yes Yes
User & GDI system resources Virtually Unlimited Expanded Win3.1 limits
Windows 4.0 help Yes Yes Context menu help won't appear
Windows Network (WNet) Yes Yes Via Universal Thunk
Windows Sockets Yes Yes Yes
World transforms Yes Scaling Only No