It has been 7 years since Win98 was released

[prathapml]

Yeah right, lol.

I love my ISP for blocking ports 6665-6680 (used for IRC). And why did they do that? They believe I'd be dumb enough to not have a firewall of my own and would be vulnerable to IRC worms. Assumptions are known to be bad.....

Anyways, at a minimum functional level, installing XPSP2 and leaving its Windows-Firewall turned on, can be quite enough for most home users. That the very same home users look at it as a hindrance instead of configuring it, is their own loss.

[jeffshen]

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

Its faster than Windows XP... I clean installed a Xp and 98 on the same computer with XP first... then 98... used a stopwatch... 98 took so much less time to load... it was a fair test... no logins... i disabled the network card on my mainboard so that the windows networking password prompt would not pop up in win 98... and the loading/ workaround to all the programs in 98 feels smoother... although i do agree that 98 tends to crash a lot, it sometimes is just faster on a 98 to continously save and reboot the PC and bypass the scandisk... i have run a dual boot of XP and 98, i need the XP for the remote desktop... yes i do have to run XP... in fact i run 2... one english and one chinese... as Microsoft still has not fixed their multilingual user environment... i tired loading chinese webpages into my english XP... didnt work... however it did work on my english 98... and obviously my chinese XP... XP feels nicer on the fact that everything is based on wizards, however, i still opt to do everything manually as it is faster in the end... and I know exactly what i am doing that way and dont have the wizard setting a few settings at a time without me knowing what i am setting... as with Drivers... i love XP in the way they have default drivers and stuff... but many things are still win 98 compatiable... so that is not a problem yet... and as with security, who in these days wouldnt run a decent firewall and antivirus... SP2 provides a firewall, but why didnt people even bother with getting one in the pre SP2 days...? new viruses will always be designed to meet most of the population as possible to attack as many users as possible, so it dosent make sense to not have antivirus software on any make of windows... as there are still viruses that attack windows 98 out there... as with the bundle software.... I dont use IE, as there is too much spyware which hijacks it and i just cant be bothered to clean it out anymore, its wasting too much time... well... lets just hope that Microsoft's antispyware will do the job...

My system specs

Athlon 2000+ Pro 512MB Ram 200gb hd with Win XP Eng Win XP Chi Win 98 Eng Mandrake Linux Dual Boot CD-RW DVDROM FDD

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

as above

[azagahl]

although i do agree that 98 tends to crash a lot

I think this is no longer true. With the easy-to-install unofficial SP 2.0 RC2 and 98SE2ME upgrade, my system is rock solid. I have more problems with my XP system actually - crashed or hung processes that can't be ended (and it warns you it can cause system instability even though it doesn't end them), files that stay locked until reboot, and mysterious slowdowns (like my mouse updating at 0.3 Hz).

I can't remember the last time I had to run scandisk on my 98 SE system.

i need the XP for the remote desktop

Are you sure? You can install the remote desktop client component on 98 SE.

I dont use IE, as there is too much spyware which hijacks it and i just cant be bothered to clean it out anymore

Have you tried firefox? I haven't had such problems with firefox. And firefox is much more convenient to use with tabbed browsing, RSS support, easy search engine usage, and extensions. It seems a lot more responsive and less bloated than IE. I'm not sure how well it handles Chinese webpages though

[Fredledingue]

Un4given wrote

Oh yeah... send the right packet to port 139 on any Windows 98 (including SE) PC and BSOD. Did you know that? It has always been a problem and it has YET to be fixed. The only way to fix it... block port 139

That's true: every morning I wake up and think, "ho, God, again I have to block port 139!" "Port 139", I can't live without him, It's too much! I'm switching to XP, AAAARRRRGGHHH!

[azagahl]

That's true: every morning I wake up and think, "ho, God, again I have to block port 139!" "Port 139", I can't live without him, It's too much! I'm switching to XP, AAAARRRRGGHHH!

Actually you are safe unless you enable File and Print sharing AND do not use a firewall AND are targeted by hackers.

[azagahl]

KernelXP compatibility news:

- Default Longhorn screensaver works 100%

Cool, looks like a compatability patch is in the works that will let 98 SE users run "XP-only" programs. More reasons not to "up"grade.

[un4given1]

Some of us are using Remote Desktop and other files from XP SP2 patch on our 98 SE systems

BUT, you are not running the Remote Desktop Server component. You may be able to run the client, but not the server. You will NEVER be able to run the server. Also, you didn't need to take it from SP2, you can download the client right off of Microsoft's website. You have been able to for years.

although i do agree that 98 tends to crash a lot

I think this is no longer true.

I think you are wrong. It certainly crashes MORE than a properly installed and configured Windows XP PC. Find me a reputable study that proves otherwise...

[azagahl]

I think you are wrong. It certainly crashes MORE than a properly installed and configured Windows XP PC.

Maybe if you tried a properly patched 98 SE, instead of just accusing people of being wrong, you'd agree that it crashes less? You can't really form a comparison between two things when you refuse to try one of them.

And FYI the problems I have are not crashing but locked files, tasks that won't die, and inexplicable slowdowns on XP. OS crashes (either 98 SE or XP) are very rare for me.

Find me a reputable study that proves otherwise...

No. Find your own study. And if it says 98 SE is less stable then I will still use 98 SE because from my own experience it's more stable.

[un4given1]

And FYI the problems I have are not crashing but locked files, tasks that won't die, and inexplicable slowdowns on XP. OS crashes (98 SE or XP) are very rare for me.

It all goes back to a "Properly installed and configured Windows XP PC" If you have having so many issues then maybe it's not the OS... Maybe it's the user...

[Asky]

after reading this whole thread, I do have to agree with every point you've made, un4given1, and, no all you 98 fans, I'm not going to actually post any kind of anecdote, because i've seen how much good 25 pages of those have done, I'd just like to say I agree with you

[un4given1]

Thank you Asky. Not just siding with me because I'm a mod, are ya?

[azagahl]

I do have to agree with every point you've made, un4given1

I agree with him too. XP is perfect if you are an IT admin, you have to impress other IT people, you have a huge budget to blow on XP and expensive hardware supporting it, users' systems never changes hardware, you have a large number of systems and enforce conformity on every user's system, users are technically inept, you couldn't care less if users machines are sluggish and have 100 processes running, and also you haven't tried 98 SE for years and you don't feel like starting now.

[dman]

I witnessed an exchange like this thread on a Yahoo message board the other day. It was between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews arguing which was the “True” Jewish people. It was a pointless and self defeating exchange that only served to cause division between groups that, to an outside observer were indistinguishable.

Come on, people! We are all Windows users, derided equally by the MS haters of the world. Time on this forum would be much better spent helping each other and exchanging real ideas, not whipping this dead horse.

[un4given1]

I do have to agree with every point you've made, un4given1

I agree with him too. XP is perfect if you are an IT admin, you have to impress other IT people, you have a huge budget to blow on XP and expensive hardware supporting it, users' systems never changes hardware, you have a large number of systems and enforce conformity on every user's system, users are technically inept, you couldn't care less if users machines are sluggish and have 100 processes running, and also you haven't tried 98 SE for years and you don't feel like starting now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Windows XP allows me to control who can and can't access our confidential information. It allows me to control who can do what and who has access to the more confidential information. It allows me to give every user in our company the ability to fax directly from their PCs (through the server) and receive faxes through their PCs. Through group policy I can lockout all of the bells and whistles of Windows XP that make it "sluggish." I can keep users from installing programs by use of permissions. I give users the ability to log on from any workstation and do their jobs by mapping their documents and folders to the server shares. It allows me to use the built in authentication to give access to our company web sites and software. Do you realize how much time alone you lose in a day by making a user type in passwords when they are working from their PCs? Windows XP has made my life as an administrator absolutely easy. We moved to Windows XP Pro from Home editions just about 6 months ago. Without the authentication that Pro offers it made it almost impossible to deal with. The technologies that Microsoft offers in XP are amazing. Now, if you are a home user and that's what you wish to stay, then I could care less what you use... If you were to walk into a big corporation and said "OK, let's push Windows 98SE company wide!" you would get laughed at and escorted to the door.

For home users I still think they should use Windows XP. If you have a family it gives you the ability to control what your children do on your computer and what they install. It gives you all the added features that just aren't available with Windows 98SE. Now, will Windows 98 do the trick for most home users? Absolutely. I am just a technology nut and I know that Windows XP just has a lot more to offer.

For businesses you are an absolute FOOL if you run your business with Windows 98. You put yourself in a bad spot and open for lawsuits. Windows 98 does not offer you the ability to protect any of our company or client data. If you are a one man shop maybe... if you have a network then you better get to upgrading.

We can keep going back and forth... me with my proof and experience... you with your lies and lack of proof... but the truth will prevail. You can candy coat Windows 98 any way you want, but chocolate flavored crap is still crap!

[azagahl]

I witnessed an exchange like this thread on a Yahoo message board the other day. It was between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews arguing which was the “True” Jewish people. It was a pointless and self defeating exchange that only served to cause division between groups that, to an outside observer were indistinguishable.

Hmm, wonder how Ethiopian Jews feel about that. Anyway, the division here seems to be between those whose are happy using a particular OS for their own purposes, and those who like to brag about their vast multi-year experience, insult others, and force their own OS choice down others' throats. It's hardly "moderating" to call other forum users uninformed idiots.