Windows 98 obsolete????

[nadirah]

Microsoft said that Windows 98 is obsolete? Is this true or not?

[FluxGFX]

In the near futur 1year or 2... most program will have issues with win98 and ME has the software is evolving past these OS system.

Might has well upgrade to XP or XP 64

[AplusWebMaster]

;) FYI...

For an "obsolete" O/S, there sure are ALOT of people still using it! See this thread/post:

- http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=17827;start=msg110287#msg110287

-

[Peaches4U]

Some more info about the demise of W98
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/12/18/HNschwartzmicrosoft_1.html

FYI...
Microsoft Shouldn't Just Walk Away From Win98
http://www.securitypipeline.com/trends/index.jhtml
- By Scot Finnie
December 12, 2003
"...As of January 16, 2004, a scant five weeks from now, Microsoft expects to curtail hotfix support for all versions of Windows 98...According to an AssetMetrix survey, 80 percent of companies were still running at least one Windows 98 or 95 computer...To its credit, the software maker has extended the lifespans of newer versions of Windows to the five-to-seven-year range. But it's hard to deny the possibility that Microsoft might be using now unchecked security threats to the Win9x platform as a whip to drive enterprises and consumers to upgrade to newer versions of Windows. If so, that kind of behavior needs regulation...Let it be up to the market to decide when the realistic lifespan of a version of Windows has ended. No matter whose numbers you use to measure Windows 98's remaining installed base, the number is still too high right now."

FYI...
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20031211S0009
"...AssetMetrix's survey of 670 companies found that 80 percent of the firms were still running at least one machine with Windows 98 and the older OS, Windows 95. Together, the two operating systems account for over 27 percent of all installed Windows machines, a number substantially higher than the meager seven percent share of Windows XP. Windows 2000 placed in the number one spot, with 53 percent, while the aged Windows NT, still popular in many enterprises, accounted for 13 percent..."

FYI...
http://news.com.com/2102-1016_3-5121458.html?tag=st_util_print
"...Consumers are also still widely using Windows 98. Google reported that 29 percent of searches done in September came from machines running Windows 98, as compared with 38 percent from Windows XP-based PCs and 20 percent from Windows 2000 machines...One of the main issues...is the security risk Internet-attached PCs running the older OS pose. "Now, there is a way to get into the infrastructure...Your buddies down the hall on Windows XP or Windows 2000 might be fine, but you become the Typhoid Mary for the company."...Scott Warren, a nursery owner in Glencoe, Ky., said he uses Windows 98 for both personal and business purposes, although he does not directly connect his Windows 98-equipped business machine to the Internet. But Warren said that not offering security patches for older operating systems would hurt all computer owners. "Most (Windows 98 users) are probably like me and do not intend to be coerced into spending several hundred dollars every three years or so," he said in an e-mail. "What this means is that the Internet viruses, worms, Trojans and who knows what else will have 'free reign' of the older machines compromising the entire Net."

- Hmmm...

Here is some more on Win98 ..... Taken from a Win98 Discussion forum ...... hopefully Win98 users can hang in there for a bit longer ....

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=d8ebcc0fb455ba3d9c53fa78db4ec4d0&threadid=25440

Win98 to be phased out. Collect the updates?
As a result of Microsoft's settlement with Sun on the Java issue, the co. is pulling Windows 98 next week (so http://www.msnbc.com/news/1002736.asp?cp1=1 )

The MS website still says web based support will stay for a long time.
("Microsoft will also continue to offer a variety of self-help resources on the Product Support Services Web site until at least January 16, 2006, two years after phone support for Windows 98 ends on January 16, 2004. These resources include the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Newsgroups. [...] Microsoft will offer paid-incident support for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) through January 16, 2004. Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE downloads for existing security issues will continue to be available through regular assisted-support channels at no charge during this time. [...] Web-based self-help support will be available for at least one year after assisted support ends."). Reading that, I was still not 100% sure Windows Update would stay on for that long. If anybody has really read the tea leaves, please illuminate us!

Today I decided not to take chances and to download the patch collection right away. It all went rather smoothly. The collection is available here:
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog

You have to use Internet Explorer - all other browsers will be immediately derailed. The page will helpfully count the number of items you select, and IE will keep tab of your download history.

The download can be done with one step for selection, and one single download process proper. The result will be a reasonably well organized directory tree structure containing the updates in folders named after knowledge base articles, each patch being accompanied with a "read more" in .html format.

I made a fairly complete selection, including all patches and a few things I never dl'ed before, like .NET, IE6, the latest Media Player, and support for many languages.

The total download size was a bit over 150MB.

__________________
Filippo
Milan, Poldavia

[AplusWebMaster]

-{ Quote: "...The demise of W98..." }-

> http://www.yogiberramuseum.org/bio.htm
"It ain't over 'til it's over" ;)
...and Mr. Gates is well aware of this one:
"...I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said"...

- IMHO, for Microsoft to abandon W98 users while they hold such a large percentage of the current install base would be the height of irresponsibility. I am not suggesting that they continue phone support or even paid "per call" support, but if (and when) new exploits are found, I think it is their responsibilty (to the entire Internet community) to maintain, at the very least, a high-priority interest in, what MS has already dubbed, their "Secure Windows Initiative (SWI)...an effort within Microsoft dedicated to making Microsoft products more secure from malicious attacks...":
- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bestprac/secwinin.asp

..and that needs to include the millions in the current Windows98 install base. After all, the revenue generated for MS from that install base made billions for their treasury - if they "forget where they came from", so will we.

-

[root]

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. :'(

[AplusWebMaster]

Don't be too sure about that, root.

- In a country that is in its early beginnings of using the computer, the first 200 million copies of non - MS Windows software for the PC is already on the way:

- http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=17959;start=msg110814#msg110814

[bigc73542]

Microsoft in their questionable wisdom decided to quit supporting win 98 which is bad enough but it also causes the software companies to quit making software with support for win98. I kind of liked 98 but all things eventually have to die or be assimilated. In this case I believe it is about gone from being a viable os due to the security issues it is going to entail without support. :(

[Randy_Bell]

See my recent little news thread: I Still Use Win9X !!! (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,8783114~mode=flat) ;D

[bigc73542]

I still have 98se on my second hdd I just don't have the heart to take it off :(