WINDOWS XP vs WINDOWS 98

[trying2win]

--I think it's been about 4 or 5 years now since I upgraded to WINDOWS 98 from WINDOWS 95. At the time of the switch. I noticed a marked improvement in overall perfromance.

--I just wanted to gather a few opinions from PACE ADVANTAGE members who have upgraded to WINDOWS XP from Windows 98. Have you noticed a big improvement in this new operating system? Are you satisfied with it? Does it have more pluses than minuses in your opinion? Do you think it was worth the cost of buying the upgrade? I'm just curious.

--One additional question...can anyone recommend a good computer troubleshooting book? The troubleshooting guide at the Microsoft website in my experience, hasn't been that helpful in some instances.

Thanks,

Trying2win

[Valuist]

I thought they were just recently wheeling out a new OS called Longhorn. Maybe its more of an enterprise OS. Whatever you get, I'm sure MSFT will tell you 2 years from now that its completely outdated.

[trying2win]

--I forgot to mention, that I've found that neither the Windows 98 help guide on the computer screen, or the Windows 98 manual, haven't been that great in helping to resolve some of my computer problems.

--In an unrelated matter, but in the realm of troubleshooting and offering low-cost remedies to problems, the fictional TV character RED GREEN has helped in some areas. As you know or may not know, RED GREEN is a great proponent of fixing some problems with duct tape!

--Thanks RED GREEN. Lately I've fixed a cut in the side of my winter overshoes with a patch of duct tape on the inside. The wooden handle of my snow shovel came loose out it's socket awhile ago too. . I just wrapped some duct tape around the handle were it enters the socket. Also had a small hole appear on one of my winter gloves. No problem. Another RED GREEN special. I just put a small patch of duct tape over the hole. Voila!...problem solved... I know, I know. I'll be accused of being a cheapskate, but I hate to spend good money on some items that are not worn out yet.

--Now if only Microsoft could offer some cost-effective remedies in fixing computer problems, like RED GREEN does for household or clothing items!

--I know I got off the topic, so it's back to WINDOWS XP vs WINDOWS 98

Thanks again,

Trying2win

[SAL]

I upgraded to XP Home, and it is by far the best OS I've used from Microsoft. I have yet to see the "blue screen of death" since I've installed it. As far as speed goes, I haven't noticed an improvement in speed. I have an Athlon 2000XP chip with 512 megs of ram and I am very satisfied with the machine's speed.

What matters to me though is reliability, and this OS has had it so far for me. It's been over six months and the machine has crashed twice in that period. I think that's pretty damn good.

[BillW]

Originally posted by SAL

What matters to me though is reliability, and this OS has had it so far for me. It's been over six months and the machine has crashed twice in that period. I think that's pretty damn good.

Sal,

Is that while powered on 24/7?

Bill

[Dave Schwartz]

I have to agree that Win XP is the best yet.

My biggest complaints have to do with performance. If you are not using an SQL database structure data transfers are significantly slower than with Win98. (Most commercial software does not use an SQL system because they would have to own the right to distribute the database system and the potential nightmare of installing it on a computer neophyte's system.)

HSH's file import for a full Saturday card takes about 20 minutes on XP Pro and about 7 minutes on Win98. The speed of the machine does not seem to be critical to that which further supports the file system issues.

Overall, we are really pleased with our 9 XP Pro installations (we have one Win98 machine and 4 Linux servers).


Dave Schwartz

[SAL]

No. it's not on 24/7. Though I do use my machine daily, I don't leave it on all the time. But with Win98se the crashes occured on almost a daily basis. With XP it almost never happens. I do keep up with regular maintenence though (I use Norton Utilities to do most of it).

[Dave Schwartz]

We leave ours on 24-7. I have several systems that have been on for months.

They only get rebooted when MS updates (which is about monthly).

[Thomason]

I have Windows 98 Second Edition on my home computer and Windows XP Pro at the office. Win XP has never locked up on me. Win 98 SE has locked up from time to time but only when I have 6-8 programs running at once. I have a 1.7 Gig chip and 512 Megs of memory and for home use, Win 98 SE is fine.

[DJofSD]

Windows 3.x/95/98 (any flavor) is based upon DOS. DOS is a single user system of very limited sophistication.

Windows NT/2000/XP (and beyond) is a real operating system that is designed with multiprocessing and multitasking in mind. It has significant diffferences in the architechure that prevents the problems inherit with the DOS model.

Windows XP is good - not perfect. I find it to be the best yet for MS. And I'm a person that hates what Bill Gates' company sells.

DJofSD

[Thomason]

DJofSD,

Excellent post. Well said.

[Thomason]

DJofSD,

I have Mandrake Linux in a box on my desk. Haven't found the courage to install yet. When they make it as easy to install as Windows, the world will flock to it.

[Dave Schwartz]

Thomason,

Many software developers that have been around for years hate Microsoft. The ironic part is that if Windows lost a significant market share, it would put most of us out of business because we could not afford to write for multiple platforms.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

[BillW]

Originally posted by Thomason
DJofSD,

I have Mandrake Linux in a box on my desk. Haven't found the courage to install yet. When they make it as easy to install as Windows, the world will flock to it.

Can you buy an installable version of Windows? I thought it was preinstalled?

[Tom]

Why is the OS named windows?

Because within 12 months of buying the latest version, that is what you want to toss it out of! :D
I cannot understand how such downright crap ever got so popular.

[BillW]

Originally posted by Tom

I cannot understand how such downright crap ever got so popular.

Ruthless marketing and a naive consumer. Only in America! :D

Bill

[trying2win]

--Thanks for all the replies so far.

-- Can a person still run some old DOS software programs with WINDOWS XP?

Trying2win

[SAL]

Yes, though XP is not based on DOS, it has a command prompt that you can use if you need to run DOS programs.

[trying2win]

Sal,

Thanks a million for the info.

Trying2win

[Larry Hamilton]

I had a similar problem on my XP machine. I had several old Buggy hoss programs that would not work. I bought a program called System Commander from V-Com. This program allowed me to put as many OS's as I liked on one hard drive. Now, if I wanted, I could have Dos 3-5, all the windows, and LINUX. Pretty slick....but as someone said, its windows so it aint sh--. Except, there is no option. Mac has a great OS but no analytic software will run and you have to buy a new machine. Who knows what Linus offers for compatibility.

[JustRalph]

some dos apps run great in XP read below:

I ran some testing for Microsoft as an OEM provider and we ran some games and such back to the 80's that worked great. configuring the sound card part of the programs are the tuff part.


Use Windows Program Compatibility Mode in Windows XP
This article was previously published under Q292533
IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY

Using The Windows Application Compatibility Mode
This article describes how to use Windows Application Compatibility mode. This mode provides an environment for running programs that closely reflects the behavior of earlier Windows operating systems.

back to the top

Using The Windows Application Compatibility Mode
When you use Windows Application Compatibility mode, many of the most common issues that prohibit earlier versions of programs from working correctly are resolved. If you run a program and it does not function as expected, it is recommended that you run the program in one of the compatibility environments. To run programs in Windows Application Compatibility mode in Windows XP, follow these steps:
Right click on the link of the program that you want to fix.
Click on Properties.
Click on the Compatibility tab.
Click on Run this program in compatibility mode and select one of these:

Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows NT 4
Windows 2000
Under Display settings, check mark the mode that you think that is necessary for the program to work correctly:
Run in 256 colors.
Run in 640 X 480 screen resolution.
Disable visual themes.
Click on Apply.Click on Ok.Double click on the program.
NOTE: The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. For more information about an option on the Compatibility tab, right-click the option and then click What's This.

[Thomason]

I have several knowledgeable friends who have advised that Win XP Pro is a superior product to Win XP Home. (For the difference in price, it should be.) Why, I'm not sure, but I trust their judgment. So, if you can afford it, buy XP Pro.

A shortcoming of Win 98 SE (which hasn't been mentioned in this thread) is that it doesn't always release allocated memory when you close an application. This isn't a problem if you switch off your computer every day or so. If you're like me, however, and leave it on for weeks at a time, it will run slower and slower.

The operating system uses chunks of memory (that's a technical term) when it runs an application. When you close the application, the operating system is supposed to release the memory so that it can be used by the next application you run. Windows 98 doesn't always do that. The result is that the application you ran last week may still have memory allocated to it by the operating system.

It's an easy problem to solve-- just switch off your computer.

This will all be academic soon because Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 98 SE and that will force us computing troglodytes to either upgrade or switch operating systems.

Now, where's a smilie that looks like a troglodyte...

[Trijack]

If you don't have Windows XP installed on your computer you're behind the times. Been using XP every since it came out. I believe I had to reboot 2 times so far and that was because I was trying to do something different. During normal use never has failed me.

Before XP I was using Windows 2000 and it sure out performed Windows 98 2nd Edition.

[JustRalph]

Very few people on this board will need Xp Pro over the Home edition. I have extensive experience with both and they are the same when it comes to performance. You can always upgrade later if you decide you need pro....and it's cheaper that way.
See the info below:

Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition: What's the difference?

With the inclusion of a new consumer-oriented version of Windows XP, there has been some confusion surrounding the differences between this product, Windows XP Home Edition, and its more upscale sibling, Windows XP Professional Edition. During a visit to Redmond in February where Windows XP Beta 2 and the new Whistler ("Luna") user interface was first unveiled, and in various meetings since then, I've been able to discuss this new Windows version with Microsoft executives and product managers. Beyond the obvious--Microsoft is targeting Home Edition at consumers and Professional at business users and power users--Group Vice President Jim Allchin said that the company was working hard to further differentiate the products. "With XP, the home version is what it is," Allchin said. "But where we're going, we've named them appropriately. In the future, this will make more sense. We will do more value add in Pro in the future."
"Divide them into managed and unmanaged environments," added John Frederiksen, the General Manager of the PC Experience Solution Group, noting that some smaller businesses would probably install Home Edition regardless of the target marketing. "Some small businesses have administrators, some don’t. Home Edition is not a managed OS. It's optimized for that consumer market. A lot of the OEM PCs marketed to consumers are bought by small businesses. In terms of naming, we wanted to continue the Professional name. For the consumer product, we tested the name Windows Me again, the year names, like Windows 2002, and a lot of other stuff. But Home Edition tested the best. The feedback said that Home Edition suggested it was customized for the home, which it was. We feel like the name reflects its purpose."

Windows XP Home Edition Overview
Windows XP Home Edition includes a number of enhancements over Windows 2000 Professional. These include:

Improved software (application) and hardware compatibility
Simplified security
Simplified log-on featuring new "welcome" screen
Fast user switching
A new user interface featuring context-sensitive, task-oriented Web views
Enhanced support for digital media (movies, pictures, music)
DirectX 8.1 multimedia libraries for gaming
Professional Edition: Superset of Home Edition
At its most basic level, XP Professional is a business- and power-user oriented superset of Home Edition. Because this orientation, it includes features that wouldn't be appropriate, or would be too complex, for the typical home user. The most obvious difference is security, which is vastly simplified in Home Edition. Each interactive user in XP Home is assumed to be a member of the Owners local group, which is the Windows XP equivalent of the Windows 2000 Administrator account: This means that anyone who logs on to a Home Edition machine has full control. Likewise, the Backup Operators, Power Users, and Replicator groups from Windows 2000/XP Pro are missing from Home Edition, and a new group, called Restricted Users, is added. Hidden administrative shares (C$, etc.) are also unavailable in Home Edition.
"Professional Edition is a strict superset of Home Edition," confirmed Chris Jones, Vice President of the Windows Client Group. "Everything you can do in Home Edition, you can do in Pro. So we do think there are home users who will buy Pro." Jones' distinction is a good one: With Windows XP, the Professional Edition is finally a superset of all the desktop clients that came before (Windows Me and Windows 2000 Professional) as well as of its new sibling. So when discussing the differences between the editions, it's best to simply describe those features in Pro that you can't get in Home Edition.

Pro features that aren't in Home Edition
The following features are not present in Windows XP Home Edition.

Power user
Remote Desktop - All versions of Windows XP--including Home Edition--support Remote Assistance, which is an assisted support technology that allows a help desk or system administrator to remotely connect to a client desktop for troubleshooting purposes. But Only Pro supports the new Remote Desktop feature, which is a single-session version of Terminal Services with two obvious uses: Mobile professionals who need to remotely access their corporate desktop, and remote administration of clients on a network. You can access a Windows XP Remote Desktop from any OS that supports a Terminal Services client (such as Windows 98 and, interestingly XP Home). XP Home can act as the client in a Remote Desktop session; only Pro can be the server.
Multi-processor support - Windows XP Pro supports up to two microprocessors, while Home Edition supports only one.
Automated System Recovery (ASR) - In a somewhat controversial move, Microsoft has removed the Backup utility from the default Windows XP Home Edition, though it is available as an optional installation if you can find it on the CD-ROM (hint: it's in the /valueadd folder). The reason for this the integration of Microsoft's new Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool into Backup. In Pro, ASR will help recover a system from a catastrophic error, such as one that renders the system unbootable. ASR-enabled backups are triggerable from XP Setup, allowing you to return your system to its previous state, even if the hard drive dies and has to be replaced. Unlike consumer-oriented features such as System Restore, ASR is not automatic: It must manually be enabled from within the Backup utility in Windows XP Pro. In any event, while there is a Backup utility available for Home Edition, you cannot use ASR, even though mentions of this feature still exist in the UI. Confusing? Yes. But it's better than no Backup at all, which was the original plan.
Dynamic Disk Support - Windows XP Professional (like its Windows 2000 equivalent) supports dynamic disks, but Home Edition does not (instead, HE supports only the standard Simple Disk type). Dynamic disks are not usable with any OS other than Windows 2000 or Windows XP Pro, and they cannot be used on portable computers. Likewise, Home Edition does not include the Logical Disk Manager.
Fax - Home Edition has no integrated fax functionality out of the box, though it is an option you can install from the XP Home CD.
Internet Information Services/Personal Web Server - Home Edition does not include the IIS Web server 5.1 software found in Pro.

[JustRalph]

Security
Encrypting File System - Windows XP Professional supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you encrypt individual files or folders for local security (EFS is not enabled over a network). EFS-protected files and folders allows users to protect sensitive documents from other users.
File-level access control - Any user with Administrator privileges can limit access to certain network resources, such as servers, directories, and files, using access control lists. Only Windows XP Professional supports file-level access control, mostly because this feature is typically implemented through Group Policy Objects, which are also not available in Home Edition.
"C2" certification - Microsoft will attempt to have Windows XP Professional certified with the "C2" security designation, a largely irrelevant status, but one which will not be afforded to Home Edition.
Management
Domain membership - Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain. For obvious reasons, the Domain Wizard is also missing in Home Edition.
Group Policy - Since Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain, Group Policy--whereby applications, network resources, and operating systems are administered for domain users--is not supported either.
IntelliMirror - Microsoft lumps a wide range of semi-related change and configuration management technologies under the IntelliMirror umbrella, and none of these features are supported in the consumer oriented Home Edition. IntelliMirror capabilities include user data management; centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.
Roaming profiles - This feature allows users to logon to any computer in an Active Directory network and automatically receive their customized settings. It is not available in Home Edition, which cannot logon to an Active Directory domain.
Corporate deployment
Multi-language support - Only Windows XP Professional will ship in a Multi-Language version or support multiple languages in a single install.
Sysprep support - Windows XP Pro will support the System Preparation (Sysprep) utility, while Home Edition will not.
RIS support - See the IntelliMirror heading in the previous section; Home Edition does not support RIS deployments.
64-bit Edition
Microsoft is shipping a 64-bit version of Windows XP for Intel Itanium systems that mirrors the Professional Edition feature-set.
Networking features
The following networking features are not included in Home Edition:
The user interface for IPSecurity (IPSec)
SNMP
Simple TCP/IP services
SAP Agent
Client Service for NetWare
Network Monitor
Multiple Roaming feature
User interface features
Windows XP Home Edition has some different default settings that affect the user interface. For example, Guest logon is on by default in Home, but off in Pro. The Address bar in Explorer windows is on in Pro by default, but off in Home. During the beta period, Microsoft had intended to use a business-oriented shell theme ("Professional") by default in Pro and the "Luna" consumer theme in Home Edition. But feedback from corporate users suggested that everyone liked the consumer-oriented Luna theme better, and development of the Professional theme was cancelled. Other user interface features that are present in Pro but not Home include:
Client-side caching
Administrative Tools option on the Start menu (a subset of the Admin tools are still present in Home, however).
It's also worth mentioning that Home Edition will support upgrades from Windows 98, 98 SE, and Millennium Edition (Me), but not from Windows 95, NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional. You can upgrade from Windows 98, 98 SE, Millennium Edition (Me), Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional. Deciding which edition to buy is simple: Peruse the above list and decide whether you can live without any of these features. If you can't, then you're going to want to get Professional. Otherwise, save $100 and get Home Edition. Note that Microsoft is offering a less-expensive Professional "Step-Up" upgrade for Home users that wish to move to XP Pro.

[JustRalph]

Security
Encrypting File System - Windows XP Professional supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you encrypt individual files or folders for local security (EFS is not enabled over a network). EFS-protected files and folders allows users to protect sensitive documents from other users.
File-level access control - Any user with Administrator privileges can limit access to certain network resources, such as servers, directories, and files, using access control lists. Only Windows XP Professional supports file-level access control, mostly because this feature is typically implemented through Group Policy Objects, which are also not available in Home Edition.
"C2" certification - Microsoft will attempt to have Windows XP Professional certified with the "C2" security designation, a largely irrelevant status, but one which will not be afforded to Home Edition.
Management
Domain membership - Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain. For obvious reasons, the Domain Wizard is also missing in Home Edition.
Group Policy - Since Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain, Group Policy--whereby applications, network resources, and operating systems are administered for domain users--is not supported either.
IntelliMirror - Microsoft lumps a wide range of semi-related change and configuration management technologies under the IntelliMirror umbrella, and none of these features are supported in the consumer oriented Home Edition. IntelliMirror capabilities include user data management; centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.
Roaming profiles - This feature allows users to logon to any computer in an Active Directory network and automatically receive their customized settings. It is not available in Home Edition, which cannot logon to an Active Directory domain.
Corporate deployment
Multi-language support - Only Windows XP Professional will ship in a Multi-Language version or support multiple languages in a single install.
Sysprep support - Windows XP Pro will support the System Preparation (Sysprep) utility, while Home Edition will not.
RIS support - See the IntelliMirror heading in the previous section; Home Edition does not support RIS deployments.
64-bit Edition
Microsoft is shipping a 64-bit version of Windows XP for Intel Itanium systems that mirrors the Professional Edition feature-set.
Networking features
The following networking features are not included in Home Edition:
The user interface for IPSecurity (IPSec)
SNMP
Simple TCP/IP services
SAP Agent
Client Service for NetWare
Network Monitor
Multiple Roaming feature
User interface features
Windows XP Home Edition has some different default settings that affect the user interface. For example, Guest logon is on by default in Home, but off in Pro. The Address bar in Explorer windows is on in Pro by default, but off in Home. During the beta period, Microsoft had intended to use a business-oriented shell theme ("Professional") by default in Pro and the "Luna" consumer theme in Home Edition. But feedback from corporate users suggested that everyone liked the consumer-oriented Luna theme better, and development of the Professional theme was cancelled. Other user interface features that are present in Pro but not Home include:
Client-side caching
Administrative Tools option on the Start menu (a subset of the Admin tools are still present in Home, however).
It's also worth mentioning that Home Edition will support upgrades from Windows 98, 98 SE, and Millennium Edition (Me), but not from Windows 95, NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional. You can upgrade from Windows 98, 98 SE, Millennium Edition (Me), Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional. Deciding which edition to buy is simple: Peruse the above list and decide whether you can live without any of these features. If you can't, then you're going to want to get Professional. Otherwise, save $100 and get Home Edition. Note that Microsoft is offering a less-expensive Professional "Step-Up" upgrade for Home users that wish to move to XP Pro.

[Thomason]

JustRalph,

Next time I have a computer question, I know who to ask.

[Larry Hamilton]

ditto....

[JustRalph]

I do it for a living........ I have helped a few around here.....anytime you need a ? answered.....post it...there are some other good guys in here that are much better than me in some very unique areas.

[DJofSD]

Without know hardly a wit about XP internals, I'd be willing to state MS has about as much of a chance getting a C2 certification from NSA as I do hitting the BC P6 on a $2 ticket. Not impossible but highly improbable.

DJofSD

[BillW]

The last time I read about them doing it (4 or 5 years ago, NT I believe) was with the proviso of no connection to the net.

Bill