Despite what the version number says, this is the first version of Windows NT. The "3.1" number came about because it was basically a clone of their existing Windows 3.1 software, and because it "one-upped" IBM’s OS/2 2.1 that was shipping at release time.

Unlike Windows 3.1, NT 3.1 was completely 32-bit, from the ground up. Initially, the core of NT was supposed to be the core for OS/2 2.x, but then IBM did their own rewrite of OS/2 without Microsoft, and so MS took what they had done and turned it into a clone of their existing Windows OS.

This is the Windows NT boot screen, which as you can see bears no resemblance to consumer grade Windows of the time.

The setup program is basically the same. There is a CD-ROM version, but this is the positively ridiculous 22 (!!!) floppy version. Which sounds obscene until you remember that OS/2 of the time also used 20+ floppies, and so too did Windows 95.

Windows setup has always touted various features as if they are the next sliced bread, but this one in particular caught my eye. Talk about forward thinking! If only they knew back in 1993...

This is the Windows NT 3.1 logo, as it appears on the default desktop. As you can see it bears more than a slight resemblance to Windows 3.1.

   
Windows NT is obviously user-aware, unlike Windows 3.1. Here are the login screens. Windows NT could operate as a standalone machine (on a "workgroup"), or as part of a larger Active Directory domain.