Win98SE vs WinME

I need a professional opinion. Are there any advantages upgrading from Win98SE to WinME? I own a desktop with plenty of RAM and a 20GB HD. I also own an old laptop with minimal RAM and a small HD. Both have Win98SE installed and work very well. I checked the specs for upgrading to WinME and the laptop meets the minimum requirements. Do you feel an upgrade is worth it or should I stay with what I have? Thanks.

 

ME is not a good choice. If you upgrade, go to 2000 or XP. XP is the real choice, except there may be a new version of windows coming out soon that you'd rather go to. There's nothing seriously wrong with SE; know loads of folks still happy with it.

 

I agree with you there is nothing seriously wrong with Win98SE, however your response created a new question. Why do you feel Win2000 is a good upgrade choice? I was under the impression Win2000 was not that great for home use only. It was my understanding it is better suited for business applications.

 

My general opinion is that the best OS for your computer is the one it came with unless you have made major upgrades and modifications.
So if your computer was designed and built for win98 and came with it installed, your best bet is to keep it.
Windows ME is a fine operating system in its own right, but got a bad reputation when it was overhyped and overmarketed as an upgrade. Many people insisted on installing it on computers which really were not designed for it and then blamed the OS when they had problems. That is one reason that microsoft now advises running the compatability wizard before upgrading to XP and will warn you that components are not compatible and may need replacing.

So my advice is that if the computers are running win98 and doing well, leave them alone. If you feel you must have a computer running windows ME, buy one that came with it. IF you feel you must have one running XP, buy a nice new one. The experience will be much better when you have a computer running the operating system it was designed for .

 

Can't disagree more with the above

A computer is not made for any particular OS, nor is any OS made for a particular computer. All are interchangeable, and I've used just about all over the years, including several versions of linux. The only trick is to obtain proper drivers for the hardware if you have a proprietary PC.

My wife's using 2000 and finds it quite satisfactory.

 

I prefer Win98SE over ME/2K/XP. It runs fine on all of my PCs including my newest build. It does what I want and does it well. It rarely causes me problems and when it does a quick boot into Command Prompt Only to run scanreg straightens it out. The main thing with 98SE is to keep it clean of malware and clean out the cache. I've seen more problems with driver issues for older hardware with 2K and XP. I also run a dependable anti-virus program w/ firewall (Panda Titanium), AdAwareSE, SpywareBlaster and IESPYAD. Once in a great while I need to run Registry Healer after uninstalling programs I found to be worthless. My PCs are not used for gaming, major photo editing or CAD work.

 

I agree with sparrow on this one. No computer is designed for a particular OS. I don't care what the external label on the tower might say. Microsoft has a list of system requirements for every OS. Once this has been determined, the next step is to ensure you have all the correct drivers. After that you are good to go.
You suggestions however have produced a different question. What is your opinion of Win98SE vs Win2000 for home use only? Please bear in mind I have had no serious issues with Win98SE. If Win2000 is a better choice I would like to know why. Thanks again.

 

jackpan

Also have several clients using 2k with no problems. Have it installed on my new experimental PC to look at and IMHO it looks like a slimmed down pre-release XP without all the bells and whistles. They're similar.

 

Well, I probably should have clarified that when you use the OS the machine came with you are more likely to find that all the drivers are available and compatible. Sure an advanced user or tech can probably get just about anything to run on nearly anything with enough effort, but when it comes to the average user, the ideal is to have a machine that just runs and is problem free.

 

Sparrow - After reading your post I wasn't sure if you are suggesting an upgrade to 2k is recommended or that 2k is a good stable OS. In other words do I stay put with 98SE or do I upgrade? Thanks.

 

jackpan

Upgrading is not an advantage when things are going well. I've upgraded to XP because I teach and work with locals here and need to have an acquaintance with all the versions of windows they use. If you have a good reason, then upgrade. The computer can do only so much and the latest hardware and software can't do any more than the older stuff. "New and improved" is just marketing. It's mostly a matter of hiding things in different menus, and "improving" the graphics. There may be more stability in newer versions, but on the other hand, bugs do get introduced too.

Programmers and their corporations need to make a living, so no program or OS is ever "finished ".

Bottom line: only you can answer your question!

 

Thanks for the great info. Due to the fact I have zero experience with 2k I needed an expert's opinion. Since there are no significant differences with 98SE and 2k I might as well stay put with what I have. We can now put this thread to bed. Thanks again.

 

You're welcome! Think that's a good decision for now, and when you have money trying to burn a hole in your pocket, then get the next version of windows to play with. It's a good toy.

 

Are you talking about the latest version coming out shortly replacing XP?

 

Right!

 

Can't wait! Thanks again for everything. Appreciate you advise.

 

In my opinion sticking with win98SE is a good thing to do but i you wan't gamings hehehe I prefer windows XP it has lots of advantage hehehe. And if you suddenly lost your drivers its more easy to find than with windows 98SE most of the drivers are XP compatible. Mother Board drivers and almost every dirvers in the OS's requirement is just a block away.

BTW I still like windows 98se though.... I LUV U windows98SE

 

My desktop has a large enough capacity for an XP upgrade. My laptop however does not. I'm considering an upgrade on the laptop to Windows 2000. If the upgrade goes well and I'm satisfied with the new OS, I'll do the same to the desktop. My understanding is 2k is very similar to XP without all the bells and whistles. I should have submitted a thread asking if an upgrade to 2k was a good idea instead of ME.