A $4.6 million NEC server using Microsoft Windows has grabbed high marks in a closely watched performance ranking traditionally dominated by machines running the Unix operating system. The fifth-place ranking on the Transaction Performance Council's TPC-C speed test is an important step in Microsoft's years-long struggle to have its software used not only on PCs and low-end networked "server" computers, but also on high-end machines. Such servers often handle vital corporate computing tasks, such as tracking inventory or managing bank accounts.
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