Moving to Windows.

Well, I've always used Linux in the past, but recently, what with the SCO lawsuit and Palladium, one of my colleagues suggested I try Windows. So, I got a copy of 98SE that came with one of my PCs, and decided to install on a brand new 40 gig IBM hdd.....
(my system specs - Athlon 750, 384 meg of PC100, ATI rage pro, SB 128pci, Dlink DFE530TX network card, Epson 480 sxu printer, 64 meg pen-drive, San Disk CF reader)

First off, I just couldn't believe how long the installer estimated it would take. Mandrake 9.1 can finish in less than 9 minutes for a big install with lots of software. It took over 30 minutes for Windows to install. Having said that, I couldn't believe how many reboots it took, either. Maximum of 1 for any Linux distro I've tried.

Eventually, it booted, and I was extremely dismayed to realise that there is no default Sys Admin, or root account. All users are allowed to do anything - incredible.

I then realised that my sound card, network card, graphics card, printer, card-reader and my USB pen drive all needed extra drivers to make them either work at all, or work properly. This is simply ridiculous. All Linux distros I've tried all recognise and configure this hardware perfectly.

I had to use a Linux box to download the required drivers, of course, since the Win box couldn't connect to the web.

Eventually, once the drivers were installed, I started to browse the drive. I was amazed to see how little software was installed. I was later dismayed to find that some of the installed software couldn't even be removed (IE for example - unbelievable).

The whole setup was difficult to customise, too. I am used to having several Window Managers to choose from, multiple styles, icons etc.

OK, since I was over the initial shocks of Windows use, I was hoping I'd get used to it all. Well, I haven't. Today I tried to install some software that is used in my workplace on the Win machine. The installation CDROM must have been corrupt, and it could not all be read. No problem, I thought - wrong - this one installation app crashed the whole OS. I tried Ctrl/Alt/Del, but no response. I waited for over 10 minutes before I tired of it and hit the reset button, only to be pompously reminded by scandisk that I should shut the PC off properly - I did try. (I have returned to using it emulated under Linux instead).

Since I installed Win 98, I have had several lock-ups, and blue screens. Most of the time, the machine has refused to respond, and I've had to press the reset button. How can a single program crash the whole OS? Where is the equivalent of Xkill?

So, over to software. I can find no equivalent open or closed source apps to compare with the Linux ones I'm used to. No free apps to burn audio/data and mixed mode CDs, only one good open source browser - Mozilla, Winamp is unbelievably slow and cumbersome compared to XMMS.....the list goes on. A default install of Mandrake gives you endless games, too - I'm missing many of them. There is no firewall included in the OS either, I find that really hard to understand.

So, what am I missing? I haven't experienced any benefits under Win98se compared to Mandrake, SuSE or Vector Linux. Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.

PS - I refuse to spend any more money on an OS, so Win98SE it must remain.

 

That was a pretty good infomercial for Linux. I may switch myself.

Have you tried a MAC?

 

A mac? No - I don't want to buy any new hardware or software.

Do you mean that Win 98SE isn't suitable for my needs?

 

A clue.

 

Kevin, hee hee

You crack me up!

Lol

Mike

 

While I understand the steep learning curve involved when switching from an OS you have used exclusively to one you may have only seen other people using, I have to ask.....what was your reason for switching?

What you described about your Windows installation is nothing unfamiliar to anyone who has worked with Windows long enough. Since it's built on an entirely different architecture than any of the Linux distros most if not all of your linux features will be different or nowhere to be seen in 98.

Having said that, I have been using Windows for almost 14 years now and I don't think that anyone here will argue that the Windows OSs are without flaws. I think every OS has it's problems: Windows, Linux, whatever.

Likewise, I could write a post similiar to yours dealing with my first Mandrake install. Half of my hardware wasn't supported and what a freaking nightmare finding drivers. I installed that Mandrake OS simply to have a system that I could get familiar with at least one of the many linux distros. It sits in the same place now that it did when I installed it 6 months ago. I may have turned it on twice. It's not because I don't like the way Linux works, there are many features on it that I enjoy. However, I simply do not have the time to sit down and learn a new OS and all its associated mannerisms. Hopefully I'll get enough free time that I can become familiar with it but until then I have way too much stuff ahead of that on my list.

Installing 98 and having the mindset that it should contain the same features as Mandrake is only going to frustrate you more. 95 doesn't have some of the things that 98 did and and win ME is a little different again. To think that your Mandrake system would mirror 98 at all is long shot to say the least.

If you decide to learn 98 I wish you well but from your initial post it seems you are most comforatble in the Linux world.

Cheers,

ICE

 

An interesting post, thank you. However, I must ask about the learning curve you mention.
Can this learning curve help me to avoid the lock-ups and blue screens I have encountered?
Is there any way to create a Sys Admin account with Super-User privileges, and other less-privileged user accounts for day-to-day tasks?
I am also now experiencing a considerable slow-down since I installed the OS, particularly when running for a long time. Booting now takes longer and at times, powering down hangs on the "Windows Is Now Shutting Down" screen. Is this normal? Can it be sorted out?

Thanks again.

 

"Sys Admin account with Super-User privileges, and other less-privileged user accounts for day-to-day tasks? "

Get an NT class OS, 2K or XP!

In win95 ,98, ME there is no securtity. Never meant to be.

The logon and password was only to identify the user for logon to networks that did have security.

And additionally to seperate different user/profiles on the same computer.

The Policy editor will allow basically securing the configuration but not file access.

But there are plenty of encryption and password and security utility software that will allow some of what you want.

I would get an NT class OS!


Mike

 

So what you're saying is Win 98SE can't do the essential things that an OS needs to do these days.

 

Well if you don't consider browsing the www, writing, printing doing taxes doing accounting conducting small businesses. Allowing kids to do homework and using it to connect to a proper file server that has all the file system security etc.

Then the answer is yes. It's uselees!

Mike

 

Win 9x is a DEAD end!

Well good grief. I must be WAY, WAY behind times then.

I still have 98FE on one machine and it does everything that Mike mentioned ( except taxes ). And does it quite well.

I have 98SE on another machine and it does every thing also.

Now I have XP on here and guess what ? It ain't doin a thing better that the other two. Yes it is a little faster but that is mainly due to the HARDWARE on it. Not the version of OS.

I do have one program that will only work on this machine. BUT, that is due to hardware ( starting with the MB/CPU ). NOT the OS.

OUCH !! I see it is time to see if we can get to play out Tuesday night Golf.

Gotta go.

BillyBob

 

carlywarly - Unix (and all the Nix variations) were written as network aware operating systems. The original enviornment for Unix was networked in an academic setting and most who used and wrote code for it were serious geeks (meant as a compliment).

MS-DOS as originally done by B. Gates was purely for stand-alone machines. Some networking features were added on to later versions including the early windows versions but strictly as add-ons and aimed at a single PC home system where security wasn't even a consideration. And unlike networking, serious security is pretty much impossible to have unless you do a major OS re-write.

The first M$ operating system written specifically for a business and networked enviornment was NT3.x. Security features built in. Network awareness built in.

Windows 2000 professional or XP professional are probably your best bet at this point. They will still be very different than any Linux release so the learning curve will be there but they will at least have most of the features you are looking for - and some you haven't thought about.

 

Quote from Admin. - "What are you expecting from an OS that is only days away from entering its "Extended phase ", 6 months away from the "Non-Suppo(r)ted Phase "(?) "

I have a version of Mandrake (7.0) that is literally years old. It has been unsupported for some time. It is perfectly "network-aware" and runs very well indeed, without lock-ups and hard reboots, so I suppose the answer to your question is - I expect such an OS to be much better than Win 98SE.

 

Quote from Newt - "MS-DOS as originally done by B. Gates was purely for stand-alone machines. "

MS-DOS was not done by Bill Gates. It was written by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products and was called QDOS. Bill Gates bought the complete OS in 1980 for $50,000 and renamed it.

 

I couldn't disagree more. I just pointed out a fact.
What I was waiting for was some opinions and answers to some points from one of my previous posts.

Blue screens - can they be avoided?
Lock-ups - the same
Slow down of OS after time/slow boot/shutdown hanging - can it be speeded up?

Since it looks more and more like you think Win 98SE is not suitable, what makes the other versions of Windows better?

 

In regards to 98SE

I ran 98SE on two machine for nearly a year with no serious problems. XP has now covered up SE on this machine.

Blue screens - can they be avoided?

Yes. most deffinetly

Lock-ups - the same

Only had one or two. But they were easily fixed by installing System Compatable drivers. ( Note that I said System Compatable which may not always be the latest and supposedly greatest. )

Slow down of OS after time/slow boot/shutdown hanging - can it be speeded up?

I myself can not really answer that question as I never had the problem.

But I will say this much. Controlling what loads at start up and runs in the background is a big help there.

But there is ligitament concern abour SE support bieng phased out. And as newer users like yourself * might be * in trouble there.

You might be better off to go for XP Pro. I just upgraded myself and so far it does not seem to be the much better but is not any worse either. Just take a little getting used to.

BillyBob

 

So, how do I avoid blue screens, and how do I locate system compatible drivers?