Microsoft Windows Millennium (Windows ME)

Industry Standard Computers
St. Clairsville, Ohio
(740) 695-1520
30 Years In Business - 30 Years Experience with Computers - 25 Years with Networks & Security
The oldest system builder in the area, maybe in the state!
Best Labor Rate in the Area, $25 Shop, $40 Outside

Windows Millennium vs 98

Problems, Comments, General Info

General fact about operating systems: Windows 95- 10% of the world. Win 98- 70% of the world. NT- 22%. DOS and old Windows 3.x the rest. If Windows ME did not have a problem with VIA chipsets (and Microsoft not addressing the problem) I doubt Windows 2000 would have ever made it pass a few large business and even then not that many.

Shut down works much better and more often than did Win 98 Cold start up problem: goes to desktop and stops with no rhyme or reason as to when or if.

If your Windows 98 is working fine DON'T upgrade. Windows ME may not be able to be used with older hardware that worked fine in 95 or 98.

Hardware detect is very picky and some will never work without manufacturer updates or revisions. Most hardware worked okay in 98. Plug & Play has less user intervention. Plug and Pray is not for the normal user anymore, if it was ever good before.

Less "blue screens of death." General Protection faults much prettier in ME. They work better in many cases. In 98 they often became "blue screens of death."

Items and settings are better arranged but somewhat foreign to strong 98 users.

Has no MS DOS start up, bypass or shut down to DOS. Even Microsoft techs hate this. Please contact managers@microsoft.com and voice your complaints.
Without DOS bypass some crashes may not be fixable excluding format of hardrive!

Without DOS the big gamers may have to keep their old Win 98 Less security then 98 when logging onto an NT network. Even easier now to hack into an NT server. The shortcuts are nice to dummies but dangerous if you want to keep the secretaries out of the payroll.

Desktop is prettier.. IE 5 works better, it doesn't need the refresh button pressed when starting up your internet connection as often.

Seems to be faster than 98 once it is up and running, but no actually speed test as of yet. More later... The registry backup up program is now openly displayed where before it had to be installed by an OEM technician.

Some options in Windows Explorer have been changed and removed. Different not good or bad. It seems that I had less problems installing software with ME than with 98 on the shop computers.

Overhaul rating: better than 98 but not worth formatting your hardrive and going to it, unless your 95/98 is corrupted. Windows ME upgrades are probably like all predecessors not complete Windows ME. The pretties are not worth $50. After over a year of using ME and 98. Overhaul I would generally rank 98 better because of its greater compatiblility to hardware and software. ME is more stable, 98 more compatible. You decide...

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Problems, Comments, General Info
General fact about operating systems: Windows 95- 10% of the world. Win 98- 70% of the world. NT- 22%. DOS and old Windows 3.x the rest.	If Windows ME did not have a problem with VIA chipsets (and Microsoft not addressing the problem) I doubt Windows 2000 would have ever made it pass a few large business and even then not that many.
Shut down works much better and more often than did Win 98	Cold start up problem: goes to desktop and stops with no rhyme or reason as to when or if.
If your Windows 98 is working fine DON'T upgrade.	Windows ME may not be able to be used with older hardware that worked fine in 95 or 98.
Hardware detect is very picky and some will never work without manufacturer updates or revisions. Most hardware worked okay in 98.	Plug & Play has less user intervention. Plug and Pray is not for the normal user anymore, if it was ever good before.
Less "blue screens of death."	General Protection faults much prettier in ME. They work better in many cases. In 98 they often became "blue screens of death."
Items and settings are better arranged but somewhat foreign to strong 98 users.	Has no MS DOS start up, bypass or shut down to DOS. Even Microsoft techs hate this. Please contact managers@microsoft.com and voice your complaints. Without DOS bypass some crashes may not be fixable excluding format of hardrive!
Without DOS the big gamers may have to keep their old Win 98	Less security then 98 when logging onto an NT network. Even easier now to hack into an NT server. The shortcuts are nice to dummies but dangerous if you want to keep the secretaries out of the payroll.
Desktop is prettier..	IE 5 works better, it doesn't need the refresh button pressed when starting up your internet connection as often.
Seems to be faster than 98 once it is up and running, but no actually speed test as of yet. More later...	The registry backup up program is now openly displayed where before it had to be installed by an OEM technician.
Some options in Windows Explorer have been changed and removed. Different not good or bad.	It seems that I had less problems installing software with ME than with 98 on the shop computers.
Overhaul rating: better than 98 but not worth formatting your hardrive and going to it, unless your 95/98 is corrupted. Windows ME upgrades are probably like all predecessors not complete Windows ME. The pretties are not worth $50.	After over a year of using ME and 98. Overhaul I would generally rank 98 better because of its greater compatiblility to hardware and software. ME is more stable, 98 more compatible. You decide...