~ > I am running Windows 95 at present. I am intending to
~ purchase a new PC
~ > which would be pre-loaded with either Win 98 or Win Me. I
~ like to know which
~ > is a better choice and what are the main differences
~ between both versions ?
~ >
~ > Thanks,
~ > Jackie
A little different outlook on your question.
If you have a feel for the Win95 OS, and are trying to decide between the
other two, you might have a faster time learning the Win98 OS. The WinMe
has a different look and feel to it that might make the changeover a little
harder for you.
Also, if you are familiar with the DOS prompt option when you re-boot, you
may want to move to Win98, as WinMe doesn't make getting to it very easy for
a novice.
What do you plan for the future? If you currently don't have broadband, or
a home network, and may decide to get it/create one down the road, then
WinMe might be the better choice, as it makes setting up both a lot easier
for the novice.
WinMe also has the great restore feature, which can be great to get out of
trouble. But you can also get third party software that will allow you to
do the same on Win98, with the added advantage of making backups at the same
time, something which WinMe's restore feature will not do. Yes, it's great
if you install something and it screws up the system, but if you get a
virus, or have a bad crash, it won't help you since you have a basic file to
go back to, not a *real* back up. You also run the risk of becoming too
dependant on the feature, feeling you may not need to do a back up, that you
are "safe from problems". (got that from another list <G>)
Some of the things in WinMe are still being "de-bugged", like the Search
feature, which if the retailer hasn't installed the patch, you may have to
download it and do so yourself.
>From personal experience, I can say that those that have done an upgrade
from Win98 to WinMe have had better results installing things on the system.
It seemed to me that the people that had the "full blown" versions had more
problems with drivers not working with their hardware. (This will most
likely change as more people put out updates for WinMe, unless they skip
this OS and head straight for WinXP.) I did note that WinMe was more stable
than Win98, even if it did take up more Hard Drive space, and memory. A
basic 64MB will not do with WinMe, you should shoot for 128MB minimum, for
best results.
Other good OT tip: Make sure the retailer will offer you the OS on CD,
instead of just a "system restore" CD. You may need the actual CD for
something down the road, such as a possible upgrade or file extractions, and
you could end up being stuck. It may cost a bit more, but the hair you save
later will be well worth it.
Thomas
PS: Just a little side note. Was the option for Win2000 there? Yes, it is
mostly built towards the business user, but after using it at home for a
while now, I gave up on WinMe, went back to Win98 and installed Win2000 as a
second OS. I felt it was more stable/secure than WinMe. (lot less re-boots
needed)
Please, it was just a question for Jackie, not to start a discussion on
Win2k being better/worse than another OS, etc.
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