PC 99 System Design Guide

Technology leaders from Microsoft and Intel have written this guide for those who create systems and
peripherals that run Microsoft Windows 98 and Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 5 operating
systems. These guidelines are based on two key goals: to reduce the total cost of PC ownership for
corporations, and to ensure that all types of users have easy-to-use machines capable of running
their Win32-based applications. Referring to these guidelines when developing new hardware and
drivers can help you be sure that your customers will have an optimal experience when using your
product with Windows 98 or Windows NT 5.

New guidelines for development with the Windows 98 and Windows NT 5 platforms are provided in this
book for these key technologies and features:

• BIOS, power management, and Plug and Play design requirements for easy installation, configuration, and
  maintenance of the PC system and its devices
  
• Hardware acceleration based on the Microsoft DirectX foundation class for high-performance media
  such as 2-D and 3-D graphics display and audio
  
• New technologies expected to become widely available, such as the IEEE 1394 high-speed bus and the
  Universal Serial Bus (USB), along with new device types such as DVD, Device Bay,
  and digital imaging devices
  
• Multi media-enabled networking, with better performance and higher bandwidth, plus new guidelines
  for home networking
  
• "Software modem" solutions, with specific performance guidelines
  
• System and device designs for receiving and decoding digital television broadcasts on the PC
  
• Wireless networking and input devices
  
• Incremental changes to basic design guidelines that match the evolution of industry specifications and
  current market standards in concert with the capabilities of Windows 98 and Windows NT 5 including the
  next step in the migration away from using the ISA bus for add-on devices