Yeah 98SE requires a cod, but it doesn't require you to purcahse a new license for every machine in your possession like XP does.

 

I don't see how they can prove that your putting it on a new machine....
Im gonna see if my copy that I got will work on my g/fs computer just to find out.
I dont understand how they can fix it so its like that

 

If you pick up a copy of XP Pro that was part of a mass commercial license, there's no activation.

XXL

 

XP requires "activation" which includes sending your hardware profile to Microsoft. You can't even do too many upgrades without it requiring Re-activation. I had to reactivate after cleaning a virus off, and btw hackers don't bother coming out with new viruses to attack an older OS like 98. They are too busy finding any exploitable weakness in new MS products in their never-ending effort to prove Microsoft is evil. I'm really set in my ways, though....I can't argue that XP is bad, but I have become very used to 98 and can do anything with it I ever care to. I tried moving "My Documents" after upgrading to XP and it just made a copy of it. Double the space taken up on the hard drive was not the intended goal. Setting up a home network with my older 98 system was impossible. As soon as I powered either down I had to re-run XPs networking wizard on the 98. It has been a pain in my tail and I'm about to fdisk and UPgrade back to 98. Done it once already, and that's tough. You have to run a boot disk, it will not let you fdisk or format any other way I could figure, and I swear I was ready for an MS commando team to come flying through the window with guns drawn.....

 

OK satcomjimmy, for us old computer challanged geezers lets go over that a little slower. What's fdisk? And why are you running 2 different versions of windows on your network. I guess I don't even understand the need for a home network. Do you work from home?

 

Sorry bout that Willowbilly, I'm a gen-X tech-geek. I wield a soldering iron more often than a torque wrench. I don't work from home, I have a home network for fun and convenience. It allows me to move stuff between them easily, game with my wife and share a printer. My wife is also quite computer literate and my kids are picking it up fast. Fdisk is a command that will erase your hard drive. Not something most people care to know about or use regularly. I keep my OS on a seperate hard drive partition from my other stuff so I can just clean off the drive if anything happens or if I am having troubles with Windows. I started doing that after putting on ME and trying to get it working well. I started over and reinstalled it more times than I care to remember before switching back to 98. I bought my second computer about 1 1/2 years ago and it came with XP, I have not changed my older computer over because I have not gotten to know and understand XP the way I would like. One of the first things we did was wipe XP off the new machine and install 98SE. I decided to give it another try recently, but am ready to go back given the troubes I've had doing what I want to do. To break it down, for the majority of computer users XP is the way to go. It is very user friendly and can walk you through getting a home network going with pictures to help you decide the setup you are running. It will help you with almost any operation you can think of from saving pictures to updating itself. It will pretty much protect itself from an unknowing user. For your tech friend building you a new computer and others of our kind, that is basically the problem we have. With XP commands have changed or are gone, it has a wizard to walk you through everything. It makes everyone work from almost the same base level, making a completely new beast that we'll have to take more time to learn to work as well and completely as we have 98 or other older OSs.

 

Thanks Satcomjimmy. I should be better with the computer than I am. It just seems like I really don't have a bank of information to go to when I have a problem. If it was a car I can always find another enthusiest and I can also tell if the guy knows anything straight away. With the computer, I listen to people that I think are savvy because they know more than me, but then I find out I was lstening to a dufus. Case in point is a couple of my older stepsons who are in their early twenties. Then when I do find someone who really knows the stuff they aren't able to dummy it up enough for me to relate. Sort of like me trying to walk a wannabe mechanic through electical trouble shooting just by telling him what to do. The little bit that I do know I have learned on this piece of junk Gateway with ME.

 

well its good to see that some are happy with Micro$oft. i sat go Linux, you all should go get that, its free!!!

 

I don't have the product #s handy. 1-800-RU LEGIT is their hotline. The pirate copies cannot install "critical upgrades".

 

you can run XP or ME, the big thing to remember is that you should(not required)install it fresh. Clean your hard drive first with any install of an op sys software package, also it is much better to convert to a NTFS file system(for windows users) vs. fat.
Windows will work much better with a NTFS layout on the hard drive than with a Fat Layout. You are given that option to convert in windows and or whan you install on a clean hard drive. XP, ME, 98SE will all work much better with NTSF.
But to answer your question, XP is much better.

 

XP has been decent on the machines I have it on. Even the lower speed ones respond well.

I also have installed in my house:

Win XP Pro
Win XP Corporate
Win 2000
Win 2000 Server
Win 98 SE
Win ME (mom in law... I got rid of it all in my house)
Win 95 OSR2
Win NT 4.0 WS
Win NT 4.0 Server

Don't ask... in all actuality, several of the above exist on the same PC in a multiboot environment.

Dan Q

 

You guys are scaring me

 

I've got dos, windows 98SE, and a several versions of linux loaded on a couple of my machines at work and home, I'm still learning the linux stuff but I'm about to set up a wireless network at home and I'm going to set linux up for brousing the web.

 

Do the wireless thing. It's so cool. If you use two routers after your cable modem you can do MASSIVE firewall stuff. But do try to stay on the secure side of the wireless. Your router will give you options. And even worse, if you are running XP on the network, you can use XP and your router to hide machines completely!

Oops... I've said too much. Gotta put tin foil on my head so they don't read my brainwaves.

Dan Q

 

Wireless means I can access the web with my laptop from anywhere in the house without having to share my wife's computer also.
I find that copper foil works better and has a more pleasing appearance.