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It has been 7 years since Win98 was released


un4given1

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OK... It has been 7 years since Windows 98 was released (98SE in 99, so that's 6 years). I can't believe there are still so many people who run it. Why? What is your reason for running it? I switched to XP almost instantly. I work in corporate environments so it's important for me to work with the newest and best. IMO Windows XP is more stable, faster and just all around a better OS. So, to help me understand please answer the following questions...

  • Why I still use Windows 98/98SE over Windows XP
  • My system specs
  • Have you ever tried Windows XP or do you just hate it so much you won't?

Just curious to know why, that's all.

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Let's see-- depends on one's overall philosphy(btw i have every single MS software product-- os, business app, data / programming app, etc. & i install these on others' systems--I've multibooted a slew of OS, and i don't find XP to be more stable or faster than 98. And as for work i think win2k, win2k3 pro / server is better suited. ):

1. Usually takes 2 years before an MS OS becomes a somewhat stable version-- winxp is still having major problems with various buggy patches to this day.

2. Depending on the base programming language / coding of one's programs-- i;m talking of business apps, not games-- they may not run faster, sometimes even slower on the nt platform.

3. Why overtax an older system with a resource hog.... drivers, etc. may not be totally compatible with all equipment....

I'm not a fan of having the very latest system in order that it's capable of handling multimedia while simultaneously working on the latest version Office or Photoshop-- i'll play games, tv, music in their appropriate components.

So now that i don't need that, getting winxp & a high end system seems like overkill-- there's nothing(work wise), no program i can't perform equally as well on win98 when i bring my work home. Office 2003 & adobe suites run fine on it. For private networks, vpn's, lan/wan,etc. again, i think the other nt counterparts are better than XP. And as for those doing some specialized work: high end multimedia, graphics, cad, etc. ? For them, better is Apple or workstation/supercomputers.... So what is so special about XP?

Therefore, i have no reason right now to want xp, ditto lcd screens(I can get several 22" crt's for the price of one lcd). Now, if browsing was faster, programs ran faster, screens rendered quicker--- i'd gladly pay extra.

But if I now decide to get winxp, i'll be paying less(street price) than when it first came out, won't have endured its initial bugs, etc. The same will likely apply to Longhorn during the first couple of years-- what will one be able to do considerably faster with it, than with win2k/xp? Ditto say, an Athlon XP system-- I'd rather buy 2-3 systems with that same money.

I have no love lost for the Wintel duopoly-- all we've been doing for them is being guniea pigs while paying thru the nose for the privilege of being the first to beta test their initial releases. To boot, they've held the industry back-- not just by squashing most entities with original products / ideas, but for one big reason:

Remember over 10 years ago, before the Pentium: IBM, Apple, Motorola-- as a consortium attempted to port superstation-class Risc processors to the desktop pc market, & MS initially agreed to compile windows for it? They later reneged, and the rest is history.

JMHO....Good Question.

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* Why I still use Windows 98/98SE over Windows XP

Because XP is a full of security bugs.

Because XP is the most popular OS, and therefore has a giant red bulseye on it that attracts viruses, spyware, and hackers. (For same reason I do NOT use Internet Explorer).

Because XP is expensive. (Though I believe it's free for me due to super-duper MSDN license. Still I don't want it!)

Because XP is bloated and drains system memory and performance!

Because I refuse to participate in XP's communist registration scheme.

Because 98 has superior backwards compatability.

Because I can do everything on 98 - develop software, play games, compose music, surf internet, use digital camera, scanners, and usb hard drives.

* My system specs

Athlon 64 3400+, 1 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 5900 FX 256 MB RAM, 2 hd (200 gb + 100 gb).

* Have you ever tried Windows XP or do you just hate it so much you won't?

I have to use it at work unfortunately :(.

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as well on win98 when i bring my work home.  Office 2003 & adobe suites run fine on it.

You got Office 2003 to run on windows 98 :thumbup ? what's your secret? Granted I've never tried, but according to the specs, windows 2000 was the minimum for office 2003 !!!

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    * My system specs

Athlon 64 3400+, 1 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 5900 FX 256 MB RAM, 2 hd (200 gb + 100 gb).

Wow... what a waste of machine on 98SE. You are aware that your 64bit chip is wasted on a 32 bit OS, right? You do not get any more performance because it's a 64bit chip. Granted, XP is 32bit, but they have a 64bit version comming out.

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* Why I still use Windows 98/98SE over Windows XP

Windows 98 Has A large User Base Meaning More People Use It

Windows 98 Works On Every New System that XP Can

Windows 98 Can Run Better Than XP

Windows XP Is Too Expensive

Windows 98 Is Cheap

You Can Do Almost Everything on a 98 pc than on a xp pc

Windows XP Has That Dreaded Product Activation where 98 does not have it

On Windows XP you need to have a virus Scanner on it,with 98 you don't

Windows 98 Has Far Less Bugs Than XP Does.

System Specs

Athlon 2600+(Barton), 768 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 128 MB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive.

* Have you ever tried Windows XP or do you just hate it so much you won't?

I Have To Use It Because i Cannot Have 1 Partition over 32GB And Before I Hated It For So Long,I Still at times have my doubts about xp,sides i know many ppl who have to use xp.

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:thumbup
7years and still rockin baby .sure xp is prettier sure the new kernel is cool but simpicity rules and 98se eveyones uses and if u can operate everything why deal with the activation saga ,bloat and if your worries bout your friends thinking you not cool uing 98se ask them how many problems they have had with xp?and beside with the patches fixes sp tricks 4 98se why cange sure its the dogde of os but al bundy got over a million miles on his...
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Windows 98 Has A large User Base Meaning More People Use It
I would be willing to argue this one... most companies are using 2000 or XP, and we all know companies make up the majority of PCs
Windows 98 Can Run Better Than XP

What are you basing this one? Windows XP is more stable, that's for sure, and if you are argueing this one then you may not have installed it properly.

Windows XP Is Too Expensive
OK, so you pay (at most) $200 for an OS that runs your PC for 5 years... you don't think that's worth it? My computer runs my life. I paid $1400 for my bed because it determines my whole day... I see my computer as the same.
You Can Do Almost Everything on a 98 pc than on a xp pc

Connect to a domain? No

Remote Desktop? No

A WHOLE list of things...

Windows XP Has That Dreaded Product Activation where 98 does not have it
Buy a legal copy...
On Windows XP you need to have a virus Scanner on it,with 98 you don't

You're insane. You should have a virus scanner on any Windows OS

Windows 98 Has Far Less Bugs Than XP Does

That's why Windows XP is more stable?

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Haha...

This is cool! An all-out war between win98 and winxp. What was simmering for years now comes to the surface... :blink:

j/k

winxp, go go go! :D

un4given1 - I agree.

I still don't see why people are afraid of winxp. I still don't see why they won't dare install SP2. Probably its because of using unlicensed copies, but even then MS has ensured it will work just fine.

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> most companies are using 2000 or XP,

Doubtful. Yes, most high-tech US-based companies use XP. However I suspect a ton of companies use 98, 3.1, or even DOS. If MS still supports 98 there must be a decent customer base.

> Remote Desktop? No

Not true, do a google search for remote desktop 98 or vnc 98, there are freeware solutions for this. FYI just as with IE and WMP sometimes its better to NOT use what is bundled with your OS.

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JoeMSFN Posted: Jan 24 2005, 10:32 AM

QUOTE (horsecharles @ Jan 24 2005, 04:06 AM)

as well on win98 when i bring my work home. Office 2003 & adobe suites run fine on it. 

You got Office 2003 to run on windows 98  ? what's your secret? Granted I've never tried, but according to the specs, windows 2000 was the minimum for office 2003 !!! 

In my case, it's proof that the less you know, the better off you are-- :lol: without reading the specs i innocently installed it in an older P3.....
QUOTE  You Can Do Almost Everything on a 98 pc than on a xp pc

Connect to a domain? No

Remote Desktop? No

A WHOLE list of things...

Yes, you CAN do those things.

QUOTE Windows XP Has That Dreaded Product Activation where 98 does not have it

Buy a legal copy...

On mine & my customer's legal installs i've disabled all that--I do enough testing / swapping-- but that's not the point. What sane person would want that hanging over their head? Yes, it's not really dreaded for now(& likely will not come into play for most folks): call an 800 #, a courteous MS rep asks you a couple of questions, will not usually challenge your answers, you get a code and are on your way. But why would i want to waste my time that way? As long as MS gets their money & the OS does not get installed on more than one machine, who cares?

Also, from a tweaking / consume less resource standpoint: between that, quality feedback for WMP & others, auto updaters, etc....... pretty soon..........

I still don't see why people are afraid of winxp. I still don't see why they won't dare install SP2

This probably also falls under the category of backing up-- the one day WILL come with a major, major problem.... we've likely all at least come across problems for others on different boards: that last days/weeks w/o a solution......

Some folks dread only because they just don't have the spare time in their hectic lives to solve a major problem--

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Windows 98 Has A large User Base Meaning More People Use It

I would be willing to argue this one... most companies are using 2000 or XP, and we all know companies make up the majority of PCs

Windows 98 Can Run Better Than XP

What are you basing this one? Windows XP is more stable, that's for sure, and if you are argueing this one then you may not have installed it properly.

Windows XP Is Too Expensive

OK, so you pay (at most) $200 for an OS that runs your PC for 5 years... you don't think that's worth it? My computer runs my life. I paid $1400 for my bed because it determines my whole day... I see my computer as the same.

You Can Do Almost Everything on a 98 pc than on a xp pc

Connect to a domain? No

Remote Desktop? No

A WHOLE list of things...

Windows XP Has That Dreaded Product Activation where 98 does not have it

Buy a legal copy...

On Windows XP you need to have a virus Scanner on it,with 98 you don't

You're insane. You should have a virus scanner on any Windows OS

Windows 98 Has Far Less Bugs Than XP Does

That's why Windows XP is more stable?

I would be willing to argue this one...  most companies are using 2000 or XP, and we all know companies make up the majority of PCs

i wasen't talking about companies i was meaning home users.

What are you basing this one?  Windows XP is more stable, that's for sure, and if you are argueing this one then you may not have installed it properly.

you can run windows 98 very well just you need to tweak it to get a bit close to xp

OK, so you pay (at most) $200 for an OS that runs your PC for 5 years...  you don't think that's worth it?  My computer runs my life.  I paid $1400 for my bed because it determines my whole day...  I see my computer as the same.

xp costs 500 bucks where i live and i never make more than 200 bucks a month,my bed is free,rent is not free,my pc runs my life too.

Connect to a domain?  No

Remote Desktop? No

A WHOLE list of things...

i wasen't meaning that,i meant for software related not those kind of features.

Buy a legal copy...

i already knew that,product activation is a pain and 98 doesen't have it

You're insane.  You should have a virus scanner on any Windows OS

well i've never been hit by viruses so 98 don't need it unles u get hit with viruses,the nt oses need antivirus

That's why Windows XP is more stable?

No,XP is based on the NT kernel and 98 is based on the dos kernel,it has been out longer than xp has.

sides i know of some businesses that run 98,they could run xp but whats the point if 98 is working fine for them,they don't always need the newest and greatest thing if something a bit older will do just fine.

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In my case, it's proof that the less you know, the better off you are--  :lol:  without reading the specs i innocently installed it in an older P3.....
IMPOSSIBLE for office2k3 to run on win98.

Probably its officeXP, check!

the one day WILL come with a major, major problem.... we've likely all at least come across problems for others on different boards: that last days/weeks w/o a solution......

Some folks dread only because they just don't have the spare time in their hectic lives to solve a major problem--

Assuredly, before that "one day" comes, win98 will be long dead and gone and useless for anything except to play old DOS games on. And that "one day", win98 will be worse affected than winxp.

Keeping the OS up-to-date with the latest patches was a concept that was around since ages. Its only now that people becoming aware of how essential it is, and getting afraid (because winxp needs that on a regular basis) to run to an even worse OS.

Show me IE6SP2 on win98. Its impossible.

And most certainly, believe me you don't want to know what happens when an MBR virus latches on to a win98 machine.

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> most companies are using 2000 or XP,

Doubtful. Yes, most high-tech US-based companies use XP. However I suspect a ton of companies use 98, 3.1, or even DOS. If MS still supports 98 there must be a decent customer base.

> Remote Desktop? No

Not true, do a google search for remote desktop 98 or vnc 98, there are freeware solutions for this. FYI just as with IE and WMP sometimes its better to NOT use what is bundled with your OS.

Yes, you are right, there are "freeware" programs out there that will do just about anything. But none of them are "Remote Desktop" And, YES... most companies do use Windows XP. I have worked for my share of corporate environments and I guarantee that there are 5x as many companies running XP than 98.

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i wasen't talking about companies i was meaning home users.
You didn't specify... and I would still bet you are wrong on that.
you can run windows 98 very well just you need to tweak it to get a bit close to xp

Why tweak when you have a superior product?

i wasen't meaning that,i meant for software related not those kind of features
mean what you say, and say what you mean. If you are going to try to discount something back it up with evidence and thurough information.
xp costs 500 bucks where i live and i never make more than 200 bucks a month,my bed is free,rent is not free,my pc runs my life too

I don't know what that breaks out to be USD, but $200 USD isn't much for it IMO

i already knew that,product activation is a pain and 98 doesen't have it
Sometimes you have to give up convenience for a superior product. I will gladly deal with the trouble of activation just to run XP.
well i've never been hit by viruses so 98 don't need it unles u get hit with viruses,the nt oses need antivirus

You have simply just had good luck. I would assume you have never been hit by any viruses in XP either (can't get any if you don't run it...) And, how do you know if you don't have any viruses if you don't run any virus scan software? :)

No,XP is based on the NT kernel and 98 is based on the dos kernel,it has been out longer than xp has.

sides i know of some businesses that run 98,they could run xp but whats the point if 98 is working fine for them,they don't always need the newest and greatest thing if something a bit older will do just fine.

I think you will find more companies are moving to XP because of AD integration and Windows authentication (2k has that all too, but a lot of companies have skipped 2k completely) Windows 98 just doesn't have the necessary tools for the work world. You might be able to get away with it at home, but your opinions on 98 as opposed to XP are a little based on hatred. I used to have this friend who had a 79 Nova. He replaced 4 engines in it, it was beat up and just all around was a piece of junk. But he wasn't going to give it up, because he knew that car. He knew how it drove, he knew how to fix it... He was too afraid to get a different car in fear that he would really look like he knew nothing. I believe that's where you 98 trolls reside. I hope at least some of you will rethink your opinions on XP and "come to the dark side.." :)

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