The only reason I kept a Windows 95 box was due my Agfa scanner drivers' only existed for W95. Ass soon as I bought a new scanner, I plugged it to my Windows XP box and upgraded the other PC to XP too.

I do not consider Windows 95 a simpler OS by itself (hey, remember when you needed to configure winsockets to access Internet?). In 1995 the whole world was simpler and safer :-)

I only upgraded my mother's machine from W95 to W98 because of a TaxCut requirement.

My game computer is W98se because I still run DOS games and an old scanner. I delayed upgrading because I wanted to avoid the useless animations used by the newer Windows operating systems.

My laptop is W2K Pro. It has a large hard drive and the Diskeeper driver degfragmenter runs faster than the old windows version.

I have to upgrade the game machine to WXP Pro, because my new sound card requires it, Microsoft dropped security support for W98 and Norton Antivirus is now WXP.

I don't think Microsoft has much of a choice in supporting any (real) flavor of XP for some time. I certainly agree to this and I think people will find out that Vista is gonna need a lot of work to top XP SP2. CNet has a wonderful article about Vista in today's headlines that many should read before giving Bill Gates more hard earned cash. I've been using Windows since the early 1990's and there are too many high priced versions of Vista and to me after testing the Business version as is right now, smells like Windows Me for about $300.00 more. No thanks, I'm sticking with the Standard (XP Pro SP2) for at least another year.

I purchased an XP Media Center PC in December 2006. Strange, no-one mentioned that mainstream support was to end a few days later.

The new decision to support it and provide security updates for only a bit more than two years, doesn't impress me much either.

We still use several NT 4.0 machines at work as FTP servers and such. They work so well and are so stable that we have never seen the need to upgrade. If it ain't broke...

Joe,

Old operating systems never die, they just become printer servers.

More at http://www.theconvergingnetwork.com/2007/01/microsoft_planning_retirement_1.html

I stay with Windows XP for Home and Company.

Vista is not an option. Why?

1. WPA 2.0 : I don't want to run on reduced mode by an error on Windows or a problem with activation or conexion (WPA 2.0 requieres an activation every 180 days). A company does not allow this. Remember errors with WPA 1.0 with legacy software. Is more complex to install on a large base of computer in a company.

2. DRM, UAC, etc... (This options are ON by default an requiere more time to configure every computer).

3. OS more slow and heavy than XP.

4. Inconsistent User Interface (for example see the "Back" and "Next" buttons on a Wizard).

5. Devices compatibility.

More than 75% of company administrators and home users that I asked thinks the same that Windows Vista is not an option.

Purchased a new notebook in October 2006 with XP Professional and it is Vista compatible. I downloaded the MS Vista Upgrade Advisor and discovered most of my other apps may not run. Is MS going to extend support for XP Pro?

As a home user, I find XP more reliable than any OS released up to now. "Me" was such an improvement over 98. Although all those continuous failures, crash's and incompatibility issues made me a more competent computer savvy user in the end.
XP is really the easiest to work with. I have a selection of devices, scanners, printers, routers and old digital cameras that still work fine on XP. I would hate to toss out all those useful items because they aren't up to Vista's standards. I had tested my own system for Vista compatibility and it is not up to scratch, not enough memory it would seem yet with XP it is the easiest yet, ultra reliable and I have had very few gremlins so far other than getting software from Umax for a high end scanner I bought just before upgrading to XP. Better not say anymore on THAT subject.

We are still using a Windows 95 PC at home purely as a music server. Basically as an MP3 server using an old version of Winamp.
It is isolated from the internet and any other computers and even though now nine or ten years old has never had a fault in its present role.

Regards

Ron Dempsey

I have 98 on one notebook, xp on my p.c, plus xp ece/05 on A new notebook.
The 98 for user frindly and doing what we need is the best. The XP home is fine but just A few more bells and whistles. And last is the XP Media Center ED. 2005 has been A pain, settings won't stay. From resolution to staying on the page I'm working on. Dealer says it is running fine, so my last hope is when I recive vista things will get better.
I do use FireFox and henderbird on our two older modles, and I'm fery pleased. If any one out there knows or ideas to tweek up the old ones plus how tfix our new one Please write,
2020hero@blackfoot.net Thankyou

This isn't even news, apart from the addition of an extended support phase for XP Home.
Microsoft's policy from may '04:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/may04/05-25ExpandsCommitmentPR.mspx
clearly state:
"The updated policy provides customers with five years of mainstream support after the date of general availability or two years after the successor product ships, whichever is longer."
Windows Vista hasn't even begun shipping worldwide yet, so two years of XP support from now on is well within the policy that's been around for a while.

I'd love to buy Vista, but this WPA stuff turns me off. Once I spend my hard earn cash, the product is mine, and I don't want Bill Gates to be involved in my business. I hate being controlled by any body, much less some program.

I have personal-built PC that is running Win98SE. It has a 4X CD burner running thru an ancient ADAPTEC SCSII card and other peripherals - that have dedicated drivers. When I tried moving some of that over to WINXP, yes the operating system had drivers, but they were dumbed down. No longer does my EPSON color inkjet have the neat ink supply monitor working in XP. Epson refuses to update that driver to XP, so -what, I should buy a new printer?? That's what Epson customer service rep told me.
No Thanks, I'll put up with the Win98SE nonsense (and it's not that bad) to save me a ton of $$ not having to buy new stuff.
I guess if you want to run the latest hot programs, then you need to step up to replace the PC and most everything hooked up to it.

At workplace we are in the process of updating our office machines to XP, yet most of them run W2K, some old lab (instrumet control soft- and hardware interface cards) still run NT4. Once already had the messages popping up about a counterfeit windows version, in a branch office we equipped with a bunch of about 50 new XP imaged/syspreped pcs, and it was no pleasure.
Well, at home I run my xp caged into a vmware ... from within linux :)

I no longer use Windows 95 but I found the OSR2 version to be very stable and used it for quite a while.

I have 2 laptops and a desktop running 98SE. The trouble with upgrading OS's on a laptop is that many of the drivers are proprietary and were only releases on the original mfr's discs. If I upgraded to XP on them I would lose LCD brightness control, volume keys, etc. One of my laptops even uses a proprietary speedstep utility that would leave me stuck at the lower processor speed. My Win98SE desktop is a self-built system that has wireless networking, a TV tuner, DVD burner and most things you find in a new system. At 1.53 GHz with 384 MB RAM, it works just fine. Heck, I can even use it as a DVR.

For those of you still running WIN98SE, there is an unofficial service pack out there that includes almost all of the MS updates. I highly recommend it.

I have a Windows 98SE desktop and a Windows XP notebook - can I upgrade the desktop by copying files from the notebook - any ideas????

I am not a corporate user. I see no reason to change every time that Microsoft changes. I will keep XP Pro on this computer; my new computer will run Ubuntu Linux. Vista's requirements are mostly fluff, features that I do not need to write, research, email, IM, RSS, and explore, and play solitaire and Space Invaders. I have a Mac, a Windows machine with XP Pro, and a future Linux flavor, Ubuntu.

After the extended support period Microsoft should opensource the XP code to allow security and critical updates to be made. I hold my breath.

Our main computer has XP multibooting with NetBSD and Ubuntu Linux. A desktop in our home gym runs Win98 for keeping workout journals and running as a CD player. A $10 e-bay laptop runs Windows for Workgroups 3.11 for checking email when we travel.

The decision to add extended support for XP Home is a wise choice. I've spent the past few months convincing the wife to switch to Linux in anticipation of security support ending for XP. Linux provides the day-to-day functionality we need, more security than Windows, and doesn't require the new hardware that Vista is demanding. Plus its free. Not all peripherals are supported in Linux, however, such as our digital camera, and certain web portals require us to use Internet Explorer.

I still use Win95 as a gaming machine for my older DOS games. Also, I like that it does not need much ram or hard drive space.

Older OSes are still in use due to the value retention they have with the hardware they use. To quite my experience, Old AGP (SiS), audio (ALS) and softwares (Quake 1,2) run best on windows 95 or 98. So why change it if your use your PC for gaming.

Further recovering the OS from a crash is easier in older OSes. To state an issue, fixing a HDD with an existing XP OS from one PC to a new one doesn't load; reason being SSID, New Hardware found and all the related blah blah...

Final thought would be that, if you have a fixed hardware, a software more expensive than the host OS, and use the PC for gaming, go for an older OS with all the updates.

With all the upgrades and this newer technology, one would think that their PC's should not crash! But what am I talking about? A newer system built to NOT crash! Ya Right!
My Windows 98SE has never failed me to the point that I could not get it back in working order, ALL BY MY SELF!!!
Can't say that for Windows XP Home or now my upgrade to XP PRO Media Center Edition (sp2). When ever any thing goes wrong on my NEWER computer, I can always count on my win98se PC to have internet connectivity and so I can trouble shoot things on line!
And Microsoft thinks everyone should upgrade to VISTA! I Think NOT!!!!!

IMO: w98 is/was the best stable windows system ever made. I had less problems with it and was able to keep it up and running with out rebooting for over 3 weeks. ME Os sucks, many bugs.

I have xp pro and w2k running now. It took me awhile to get use to running xp but once i figured it out have been satisfied with it. Excellent up time with out reboot. Same with w2k. depending on what apps are running, I can go a month with out rebooting and no noticeable difference in operation.

Since windows has gone to the sending things back to MS, a lot of users , I believe will be going to seek other OS's.

The older machines, will either get thrown out, or will be given away and more experience users will turn them in to unix type OS's. Servers and
desktops. As they can be used a lot easier, but are not user friendly.

Time will tell, but again IMO: MS kinda messed them selves up making people have to pay for a new ident to use if there system crashes and you have to redo the hard drive. Personally why pay for something that is free to the open public with out getting a hacked ident.

I think more users with experience will be looking for the hacked ident instead of paying 300.00 USD for a new windows os. ( Not an upgrade which usually sucks as they dont work all the time).

The newr users or beginners will learn the hard way and probably will be satisfied with what they have providing the operating system works properly.

i still using win98se win95 winxp and i will use them for 15 years and more...still i have so many vintage good--free-real working software--games and programs that it is not compatible with vista.
And since developers didnt make a new versions of these software I AM NOT GOING TO QUIT USING THESE VINTAGE OPERATING SYSTEMS...TO INFINITY AND BEYOND....I have so many good programs running and working perfeclty on win98,,,win xp.....

perhaps if microsoft creates a new version of windows that supports all software programs and games that were running on win98,,,win95,,,winxp

alleluia....

i still using win98se win95 winxp and i will use them for 15 years and more...still i have so many vintage good--free-real working software--games and programs that it is not compatible with vista.
And since developers didnt make a new versions of these software I AM NOT GOING TO QUIT USING THESE VINTAGE OPERATING SYSTEMS...TO INFINITY AND BEYOND....I have so many good programs running and working perfeclty on win98,,,win xp.....

perhaps if microsoft creates a new version of windows that supports all software programs and games that were running on win98,,,win95,,,winxp

alleluia....

i still using win98se win95 winxp and i will use them for 15 years and more...still i have so many vintage good--free-real working software--games and programs that it is not compatible with vista.
And since developers didnt make a new versions of these software I AM NOT GOING TO QUIT USING THESE VINTAGE OPERATING SYSTEMS...TO INFINITY AND BEYOND....I have so many good programs running and working perfeclty on win98,,,win xp.....

perhaps if microsoft creates a new version of windows that supports all software programs and games that were running on win98,,,win95,,,winxp

alleluia....

We have been working on XP and extensions to include 95 for the games that were old and funny., for playing and added more intelligent activities to the professional portion of our automatically partitioned by user group., to see if we could out distance Visual Studio 2008 and Axapta-(formerly called"Microsoft Dynamics"., the old business suites which are still far more complex than say"Office2003 or Office2007". And for sure[Bank on it]- your average Celeron processor could not do the same work as say it's successor CeleronD).,but interesting enough- we found that after condensing such works through our personal preference of programs- we could ask for it all with a processor that matches a multilayered memory enhancement for our next XP Update...buy it from Bill Gates and wait for the mail to deliver the memory upgrades and Gee- I, The Hon. M.K.Shaver just can not wait.

If your looking for even more information on PC security then I would head over here as they have plenty of stuff on identity theft, antivirus software etc.