ZDNET recently reported about how Microsoft continued to support Windows 98 longer than expected in order to keep users from switching to Linux. At first, this was a great idea – but is the Linux threat reality?
People who still stick to Windows 98 usually are no PC freaks – freaks usually like considerably current operating systems and never really hanged onto the 9x branch, preferring Windows 2000 right from the start. In addition, most current hardware can’t even run 98 – so every person with a considerably up-to-date PC runs something else.
Now, Linux is an operating system for PC freaks. Joel Spolsky himself said that the idea behind Unix is to create value for programmers, while Windows attempts to create value for users. And indeed, using Linux is considerably more difficult than running Windows – there arent enough drivers(and bozos trying to reduce the selection even further by fighting binary drivers, more on that another day), you will eventually need to get down to the command line, etc etc etc…
And this is stuff that a Windows 98 user like the one described above simply can’t and doesn’t want to do.
One Linux distributor would need to create a Linux distribution that has more-less the same driver support of Windows 98, contains a ready-to-run version of WINE and is hyper-easy to install and maintain(no command line included, all setup in graphical mode) in order to cash big on Windows 98 users. However, I don’t see such a distribution anywhere – thus, Microsofts fears IMHO were unneeded!
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Wow … linux without a command-line
Did you ever really try to use linux? I think that SuSE is a quite good alternative for Win98, you can configure everything with their setup tool (yast2). (K)Ubuntu should do the job as well.
A friend of mine (pc-freak) uses a Win98 on a quite old pc which is only playing music all the day. He would maybe change to linux, but he doesn’t care about Microsoft’s support at all ..
I don’t want to talk about hardware-support anymore … simply try it …
Just today I had to repair a Win98 system. You know, it started to give “Socket Error 0x0B20923402.”, and had to go to FULL DOS (not a text terminal, but rather the 1980 OS that doesn’t even have multitasking and plays a big role on Win9x kernel) to edit system.ini.
A Win95 system I setup recently just broke after two boots. The error was “The kernel is too large to fit in system memory”, something like that. It left me there, not even the DOS boot menu appeared.
If that is a good operating system, I think such users will be happy with an unstable version of a random vendor operating system too, like OS X Developers Preview Release?
Hi,
I tried Linux multiple times on Notebooks and desktops, and never quite got it working…
Anyways, agreed, gotta try it once again!
Best regards
Tam Hanna
I’m going to continue to run Win98 for another year or two on a Celeron 733 machine that’s on a wireless network with an XP pro laptop.
System does great as a family machine. Replaced ie6 with Foxfire, ZoneAlarm with an older version of Kerio, will take a hard look at Thunderbird instead of OExpress.
Creating a double boot with Ubuntu on a second hard drive. After the year or two, will probably be saying goodbye to Windows at least on this machine.
Best – Mike
i migrated from windows XP to linux almost 2 years ago and have no intentions of going back. the drivers support in so many cases is beter than windows ( printers, palmtops, etc are more “plug-n-play” than windows ) and the ease of runnin a linux distro mow-a-days means u dont have to be a PC freak, just a power user who wants to use each and every drop of juice can use it too. security is fantastic, the general user would have an easier time inlinux ( not having to worry abt installing firewalls, antivirus scanners or spyware remover and other shit. )
overall linux has come a long way. when i saw it 5 years ago i wouldnt have even bothered but now ther is so much stuff i can do in linux which i couldnt dream of doing in XP. heck, my Linux right now can give Windows Vista a run for its money in terms of eye-candy and apeal, and vista is still kinda far. just check out the articles on my blog to get an idea of the possibilities.
Linux has come a long way since I tried it the first time in 01, but I think it has a ways to go yet before its to become a viable alternative for the masses. Now, don’t get me wrong, if your just getting into computers I’d suggest 100 percent that you start off with some form of Linux. Especially if your only goal in a computer is access to the internet. Still, between the steep learning curve and drive issues it’s just not going to attract the majority of average computer users who want nothing to do with the command line or the basic working of the OS.
Now, I’m just getting back into Linux recently and let me tell you for the most part its been real easy. Especially between Ubuntu, Puppy, Saxenos, etc. Indeed, I honestly don’t remember where a Linux install wasn’t fairly easy. My problem has always, “ALWAYS” been a driver issue. The latest being my sound card, which isn’t supported by Alsa apparently.
Anyway, its simply too complex for your migrating Windows User. Especially for what is lacking. Sorry Linux, but I like me some games and other software. That being said, I’d switch completely to Linux before I’d ever buy into a Mac (So yeah, I may play around in Linux from time to time, but Windows is where I’ll be the majority of time until something comparable pops up). Bah, buying hardware to get software. -_-