More than 70 million people are still running Win98 and WinME. Why is anyone still running WinME?
Windows 98 and Window Millennium Edition (ME) have been continuing to receive updates from Microsoft via Windows Update, though Windows 2000, Windows XP (2002), Windows Server 2003 have all been released, and users encouraged to upgrade. More than 70 million people have resisted the call to upgrade and are still using the older releases of Windows.…
Article comments
26 - zorux
Win98SE, runs very well in fact I'm running on it (never updated). Updating is for MicroSoft computers control.
Updates & upgrades seems to be unnecesary. Have you notice how fast the computer captures trojans and worms after service pack installation or update? Virus developers keeps firing on XP target
and MS and some software companies keep users buying antispam, firewalls etc.
Win98 is very much secure than XP.
The XP system have several holes for privacy watching. It allows anybody including MS to get inside your computer. Remote assistance? HA! You must call it REMOTE COMPUTER CONTROL.
WinME is "domesticable" after few settings and backing up some system files (just in case).
Conclussion: You just need is to update the drivers only when you change to another architecture (Pentium II to IV or AMD chipset).
Microsoft is forcing us to XP or any future OS, in one way or another their policy is to keep users under control. You serve them well anytime you start their "Messenger"
WinXP is like the Titanic was: Too big and few lifesavers on board!
Thanks for the chance.
Zorux.
27 - Joe
Doc, that is ridiculous. If by onsite troubleshooting technician you mean that like 90% of computer users you know nothing, then yes I would agree. Though 98SE was a great OS, ME was an absolute pile. It was very crash prone and had MAJOR compatability issues with many, many applications.
People, these OS's are not going away. They will still work just fine. More than likely most of the people using 98 and ME weren't downloading the updates anyways. It's not going to effect you one bit. Moreover, Microsoft allows you to put one copy of XP on like 2 or 3 machines, as long as you own them all.
As for XP, switch to classic view and all will be fine. Moreover, for those of you who have problems with things crashing and running slow, it's because you need to reformat once in a while. A comment like "I have 5 years worth of info on that computer is hard to fathom." Reformat, you'll be amazed at how much better your machine will run.
28 - Jonahsm3lls
windows 3.1 was a dinosaur, windows 95 was a step in the right direction, windows 98 got closer to what i wanted from a commercial os, then windows me was a terrible excuse for an os, bsod all the time, constant crashes, bah, just a poor excuse for anything resembling helpful, windows 2000 did it right with stability and support, then xp came with some hefty requirments, it's just too bad sp2 broke every xp system i put it on, now i just use a clean xp install and don't bother with updating.... i can only hope when vista is commercial it does what it should without needing a system more powerful than what's required to play doom3 or halflife2!!!!
29 - Jet in Columbus
I could've sworn I said that waaaay back in comment 14?
30 - Phillip Winn
I completely understand why people are still running Windows 98, it's Windows ME that puzzles me. That was always a piece of garbage, from day one.
It did come pre-installed on a lot of cheap PCs, though, and I'm guessing that's the userbase.
Windows 2000 kicks ME's butt, and XP's butt. And 98's butt. Windows 2000 is great.
31 - Phillip Winn
Come to think of it, I love Office 2000 as well. 2000 was a good year for Microsoft.
32 - Linux convert
that's why I decided to move onto Linux systems.
you get networking and server capability, yet you also get good functional softwares for web browsing, office productivity, multimedia...etc, all for free!
Dear Librarian from post #6, you should definitely look into a linux system! for what you need for a PAC, linux totally supports it, with much better security!
33 - Mark Saleski
yes, linux is a great way to go if you're looking to "un-microsoft" yourself. i installed suse 10.x a several months ago and have never looked back.
heck, i didn't even have to reboot after the install!
34 - Sen McCartney
Hey guys, buy a mac! For 500 bucks you can get a machine that runs windows, is reliable, is fast, and cheap. And when you get tired of screwing with windows, a Mac has its own operating system that doesn't crash, doesn't get viruses, and doesn't need drivers for most perfs! Let me tell you, once you try a mac, ya won't go back.
35 - arizz
why win98 and win 2000. and not xp/vista....umm 4gig just for install, so much junk in windows half of which we don`t need, i.e roxio cd writing built into XP, oh come on please we all use different stuff..i.e. nero, cdwin etc... XP has so so much junk it takes a 1.5 ghz chip to even run comfortably and at least 512mb of ram to boot, even that`s borderline...vista...ooo BOOTLOCKER...ermmm not good at all especially for us linux users..put simply win98/NT/ME/2000 was nice clean o/s`s that did the job of what there meant to do and that`s give us a platform to work on. XP/MCE/VISTA ummm do we really need a computer to become a multimedia hub that`s really just gonna be plugged into a TV and do little else, we are coming away from a computer being a tool to work with, too an entertainment system. i want a computer to be a computer and nothing else.....
36 - dave derham
For the person who uses a mac....I got one here, Im typing on it now,its a dual core 2ghz powerpc G5 six months old, 2 machines later and four yes four crashes this week alone,should be called a lesspowerpc.Let me tell you macs do crash macs need defragging (often) using OnyX, the networking is the worst ive ever seen, and to beat all that apple uses windows servers....
Support is excellent from apple but as Dire straights once said I WANT MY OLD XP......
37 - yo mama
MUAHAHAHA , its about time !
get linux if ur still using win95/98,awesome OS and free too
i used vista for a while but it blows a donkes dik so i switched to kubuntu ,
linux rulz ,
38 - Baronius
I run maybe 90% of my applications on Windows 95. I'm running them on a Civil-War-era machine with nowhere near the specs for an upgrade. I'd guess that most people with old OS's (let's say ME and older) have machines that couldn't handle newer OS's, and would never think of upgrading their software. Let's face it, the average ME user isn't going to reformat his hard drive (at least not on purpose), and when his machine gets too slow, he'll buy a new one.
But you can keep running an old computer with an old OS. You just have to know your limitations. I have occasional problems online, but fewer than you'd think. Netscape is far more forgiving than Internet Explorer. No JAVA, but very few popup ads. That's a great tradeoff. I've got graphics and audio working fine, no problems with data transfer, and no paper clip asking me if I'm trying to write a letter. It's a decision I've consciously made, but even a less experienced user can do pretty well without support.
39 - Ricky Bobby
Hi everybody!!!!
Win98 and WinXPis just like an old Ford Thunderbird and a (new)Ford 500 duking it out on the Talladega speedway.
Then comes along Win2000 to get win98 and WinNT compatibility and they duke it out some. 2000 made some hefty gains in trying to get win95/98/Me and NT to get along and it suffered at first then SP1 helped out a lil bit...
But wait here comes XP... Its a new experience for M$ to save its client base or rather control it. Xp says you have to let M$ know your running it so they know it aint stolen software but hold on Intel tried to do the same thing with its chips and woola AMD stocked sored...
But hold on there....
Now M$ has Vista and hey its got 64bit and same ol Windows security and issues.... Who cares.. It isnt like we need 64bit OS's to run games and everything... I mean why not just work on 128 bits or something... Geez those rocket scientists...
They could always tweak the 98core you know. I have a feeling people are already working on a Win98 kernel like they do for that lunesta they always talk about and it will be a few files with different names like that purple pill guy. The 98 core will be completely rewritten so that M$ cant sue and it will be GNU licensed. they'll call it a 98 something or another... You just wait and see!!!
Ummm just wait and see.... I think its gonna happen.... Don't believe anything Bill and and Steves says.... They got me on a laser lock so I better get out of here...
See you all at the speedway.......
Ricky!