The sanctity and validity of writing a review on an Operating System more than 4 years after its first release and during which time it has probably become the most used OS obviously does not make sense. Call it addiction to MS if you will, but I just could not resist the temptation of writing this review when I saw the title Microsoft Windows 98 in the “Opinions Wanted” column.
Windows 98 still remains the most commonly used Operating System (OS), pre-dominantly used by those who use PCs at home. Its no use comparing it with its later versions. I’ll therefore this review as though I’m doing it just after its release…you could call it the opinion of someone who has just upgraded from Windows 95 to 98.
The MINIMUM hardware requirements are PI-100, 64 MB RAM, 3-4 GB HDD and 12x CD-ROM drive apart from the customary floppy drive. Anything higher than this configuration is commendable.
Setup & Installation
The Windows 98 setup is a major improvement over the its previous version. It is much more user friendly and requires less intervention from the user. A major advantage is that if the user is upgrading from Windows 95, all the existing settings will automatically be saved and imported into Windows 98. The entire process of installation does take a little longer than what it does for Windows 95 but that is only natural as it has nearly 60-80 CAB files as opposed to only about 30-40 in case of Win 95. The “tips” screen that crops up when the system boots for the first time after installation can easily be configured to be dormant for ever unless otherwise chosen. For first time users, the “Take a Tour” module can be of real help and updates on the latest developments in Win 98.
Performance Boosters
There are many self-tuning features in Win 98, a feature that the geeks at MS have got addicted to by now, present as it is in all subsequent versions. The Maintenance Wizard (MW) found under Programs>Accessories>System Tools, is the new addition here and it guides you through a series of steps where you can pre-schedule certain maintenance functions to be run as and when you want them, thereby keeping your computer ship-shape. The MW can be scheduled to perform all sorts of maintenance functions such as selecting what programs to load at the start-up, de-fragmenting the hard disk (real useful stuff) scanning hard disk for errors, deleting unnecessary files, etc. I have Win 98 installed on my PC at home and generally keep the MW off but prefer to run the defragmentation process myself. What it does is to re-arrange all the files that your applications need for initial loading at the front of the hard drive so that they can be accessed faster. It then rearranges the remaining files, putting those that are accessed less often at the rear of the hard drive. Initially, it takes quite some time to defrag a hard drive. When run subsequently, it happens in a jiffy.
System Information is a utility that reports all sorts of information about the computer’s hardware. Windows 98 expanded this utility and it can be found under Programs>Accessories>System Tools. System Information now includes a whole host of tools to maintain system integrity and help resolve any hardware or software related problems if they occur. These include System File Checker, Dr. Watson (I could never figure out what exactly this chap does), System Configuration utility, etc.
Enhanced Hardware Support
The chances of finding drivers for various installed hardware is brighter than it ever was in Win 95. This really obviates the need to dig out the much needed driver files for Plug n Play devices from other sources.
Other Frills
Microsoft also added another option, the “FAT32 Converter” which makes more space available on hard drives that over 2 GB. While Win95 was predominantly running on FAT16, FAT32 compresses the files into tighter segments and thus saves more space on the HDD. However, one glitch here…once you convert your HDD into FAT32, there is no way to get back to FAT16 except by formatting the hard disk.
There is something called “Windows Update” which continues in all subsequent versions too. Clicking on this automatically connects to the official MS site which then scans the PC and suggests updates to be done, if any.
Thanks to the integration of Intel’s Launch Accelerator technology in Win98, programs actually start and work faster. Implemented in the Defrag applet, programs most used are stored towards the beginning of the disk and close together to make the hard drive work less to have them launch.
I did spot something called a WebTV in the setup options which is supposed to receive and display television and other data distributed over broadcast networks. I’m sure hardly anyone here would have used it at all, lacking as we do, a TV tuner card in India.
Software Integration
Internet Explorer 4.0
IE 4.0 is a real cool browser and integrates very well with the operating system. IE 4.0 installed on Win98 makes web browsing a much more enjoyable experience than it does on Win95. Additional features such as advanced security features keeping in mind “online shopping” were also first introduced in this version.
Office 97/2000
I won’t comment about Office 97/2000 but just that it integrates smoothly with Win98. There are absolutely no problems what-so-ever and these two give an impression of having been made for each other right from the beginning.
Other Utilities
there are a host of other Internet applications like MS FrontPage and Outlook Express which serve better purposes than being mere decorations that look good on the desktop.
All said and done, WIN98 did not live to its pre-release hype of being a totally different OS, it was merely an upgraded version of WIN95 and yes, due credit to MS for not having botched this one up. My only grievance against Win98 is its lack of stability. Though I could never figure out what was causing it, the fact remains that I’ve used (Control+Alt+Delete) on more occasions than I can care to remember. I found Win98 to be notorious for its lack of stability and reliability which resulted in frequent crashes and very nearly ruined my hard disk on more than 1 occasion.
Had anyone asked me for advise at the time of its release, I certainly would have recommended upgrading to Win98 for it is worth doing so for so many reasons, except of course, the Stability factor. Nobody probably will ask me the same today because it is an exercise in futility.