W98SE vs. WinXP

I don't think there is really any choice here

WinXP is far more stable, far more surviveable and far more scalable with newer hardware. It will take a bit of getting used to if you have been using 98 all this time but you will not regret it once you give yourself time to get used to it. Some of your 98 apps will not work under XP though. (Still, they would be the ones more likely to wreak havoc anyway )

 

My two cents worth.

I would say the biggest difference is stability. Also, Win98SE is missing the system Restore and Movie Maker features, both of which are standard with WinME & XP. It also lacks support for smart menus, Hibernation mode, system file protection, automatic updating, effortless home networking, and Internet gaming. In short, the wrinkles of Win98SE are starting to show.

As long as your current OS supports your computing activities, you have no reason to upgrade or if cost is a factor. You also have to consider whether your PC can handle an upgrade. WinXP demands a lot of a computer, and many older systems - especially those, running Win98 SE, may not be up to the challenge.

I switched from Win98SE to XP and have never looked back. My computer handles it well. I like it. Cheers.

 

Dan...that's probably an accurate assessment, but it seems that might change in the near future. Big bucks may soon be allocated in an entirely new direction (I hope), according to this article:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/11/24/46NNdesktop_1.html

 

I use xp home and prefer it to 98 purely because of the stability. I haven't had an OS related crash yet. If I'd thought about it more when I had my desktop built, I think I'd have opted for 2000. Same kernel and less bells and whistles.

As for the xp firewall, mine was on when I got it. I've downloaded a dozen different firewalls to play with since, and they all turned off the xp firewall automatically.

xp's firewall is found in the bar at the bottom, the network connections. Open it, select network connections, and it will show the firewalled connections. Click on whichever isp you're using and find security, then unclick the checkbox. I don't think it's necessary. ZoneAlarm, among others seems to deselect it automatically.

 

Thats true , I remember reading a press article 6 months ago how the Japanese goverment were discussing passing legislation to switch all computers over to linux . This would be a big move as In Japan apparantly all communications with local govt are going or mostly conducted through the internet . if that be the case and microsoft is dumped and other Asian countries follow suit ( which is highly likely ) and pacific regions etc then much will be obsolete that is now looking not so ...... just a thought .... ( I still use win98se and its fine for my purposes . )

 

I absolutley agree that linux is making some great headway around the world. I read that linux is getting real big in south america. I run two versions now and am getting another hdd and am going to put mandrake 9.2 and red hat fedora on it then maybe shoot ms windows.

 

I vote XP as I have found it to be more user friendly and the features like remote control help is great as well as the fact that it uses memory more effeciently helps as well.

 

Really, I say windows XP is far more superior compared to previous versions of windows in terms of reliability, speed and security. What's XP? XPerience the best windows ever.

 

I'm in what looks like a small minority, but I sure wish I still had my 98SE. But of course when I had to go with a new system last fall because my old one died, I had no choice but XP-Home.

The biggest advantage of XP, which has already been mentioned in terms of stability, is its memory management -- it's nice to no longer have to keep an eye on system resources. And on the rare occasions when it does crash and you have to reboot, it's nice not to be forced through Scandisk in the process.

On the other hand, there's a major disadvantage -- and this isn't new with XP, admittedly, but is post-98. Now that DOS is for all practical purposes gone, I've lost a heckuva lot of old favorites that would happily run under 98, often quite nicely in DOS windows without even needing rebooting into DOS mode.

 

I have both an XP Home and an XP Pro system. When I first got XP when it was first released a few years ago, I really disliked it because I was used to my Windows 98SE system. Now, after having it for a few years I am obviously used to it and would recommend it. The only problem with XP is that it is hard to use any older peripherals, sometimes the compatibility wizard can not fix the problem. For example I have an Intel Webcam that was meant for a 98 system and will not install properly on XP. Not that it is a big issue, but if you are strapped for cash you might not be able to replace all of your old peripherals that you might need.

 

Well......it seems there are not many graphics tweakers here. XP enables so many more graphics opportunities like transparencies. When we first looked at XP (GUI) it looked like just so much useless/non-utilitarian eye candy. Then one day someone pointed out that XP can be changed back to the classic (98SE) style graphics. Right away that was a MAJOR improvement.
XP is so much more stable in that it fixes its own crashes more often. We do quite a bit of beta testing and crash 98SE many times a day!!! XP crashes but not nearly as often and the computer usually does not need to be restarted.

XP uses the NTFS file system and is more effecient than FAT32. Quote from the MS website "NTFS manages disk space more efficiently than FAT by using smaller cluster sizes. For example, a 30-GB NTFS volume uses 4-KB clusters. The same volume formatted by using FAT32 uses 16-KB clusters. Using smaller clusters reduces wasted space on hard disks." So you see 98SE uses 4 times the space just for a simple folder!

Making XP secure as possible is not difficult.

A few good programmes cannot be run using 98SE. For an example see some of Diamond CS's programmes.

Be seeing you.

 

I'm right in the middle with Windows ME, and no one is gonna trick me into upgrading to XP for any reason. I don't care about SP2, i use firefox anyway. I have always done just fine with Win ME. Haven't had any real problems with malware yet. I'll just wait till Win ME runs out in 2007. Then maybe i'll upgrade. But there's always Linux.

 

WinXP. My only beef with XP is that a) it's a resource hog, and therefore not possible to run on my aging computer, and b) IE is completely integrated into it, and, AFAIK, cannot be removed at all. (I think the same is true of OE...) I suppose that Win2k offers the best of both worlds, but I'm not sure... I've heard a few times that it is a bit buggy...

Btw, is there a way to disable all the rounded corners in XP?

 

C'mon, XP is far more better than any other operating system. I used 98 in the past, but now after i started using XP i am really impressed by XP!
The New Standard in Dependability and Simplicity

Impressive Reliability, Built on new Windows engine

With Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft has merged the best features of its consumer operating systems with the power, security, and reliability of the Windows 2000 engine to create a new friendlier, more dependable operating system.

Windows File Protection

Prevents you or your applications from accidentally changing the core operating system files. This helps protect your system proactively and automatically.

Protected Kernel Mode Architecture

Your applications do not have access to the software code kernel upon which your operating system is based. This greatly improves the reliability of your system.

Process Separation

Errant applications will not cause your computer to crash. Each application is in a completely separate, protected memory space.

Side-by-Side DLLs

These provide you with a mechanism for multiple versions of individual Windows components to run "side by side." Now you won't have to worry that your applications will conflict with each other and cause application instability.

 

You can read the whole story at Microsoft Nadirah

 

WinXP is much more stable, have a better GUI and manage much better the memory that Win98 SE...

 

Windows XP is XPriencing the BEST of the digital age.

 

Hmmm......Do you know about the VAX System with the VMS Operating System? "The clustering capability that was added to VMS is still years in advance of anything in Windows NT or any other operating system for that matter. In 1992 Digital released the Alpha, which was a 64-bit RISC (reduced instruction set) machine which ran a modified version of VMS called AXP. This machine was fast - in fact, it broke many of the speed and performance records in place." We should not even mention the Emerald Operating System (!).

XP is old hat but we do not advocate getting rid of it. It has a great potential.

 

i would use XP

 

My situation is W98 against XP Home.
Why? XP is a much more stable system, rarely giving any bother.

 

After using every M$ product since 3.11/DOS 6 I have to say that I prefer XP. I thought W2K was good and initialy was put off of XP 'cause of the appearance, but once I got used to it, it's my OS of choice. Win98SE was (and is) good for games but as far as I'm concerned that's it (I still use it for games that refuse to run well under XP). However, for internet access, HD management, security (Iknow ,I know - it takes a lot of patching and adding 3rd party proggies) etc compared to Win98SE, XP is in a different league. So, if you mainly play games and use dial-up only occassionaly stay with Win98SE, if not change to XP - and just accept the learning curve (and tweaking) involved. HTH

 

I'm using both 98 SE and XP SP1 Home on two different machines. I can't really see any substantial difference in stability - both PCs work equally well and I rarely had problems with anything I installed on them. It might sound strange, but I do find 98 SE a tad more stable than XP. What I also like in 98 SE is this wonderful simplicity that makes the user's life so much easier - no bunch of mysterious accounts although you're the only person using the machine, no millions of entries in the registry or back-up copies of whatever you install/uninstall scattered all over the HD, no need for never-ending downloads of the latest drivers possible for any existing device, etc. And I also happen to love DOS.

But XP's System Restore feature is really useful (although 98's Scanreg /restore isn't too bad either) and image managing programmes admittedly work much better on XP...

It was really difficult to choose, but I finally voted for 98 SE because there are many programmes I've loved for years and which I was unable to use on XP (the compatibility manager didn't help at all).

BS