Forum Home
Press F1
Thread ID: 70694	2006-07-12 23:35:00	...And Then There's This Side Too........	SurferJoe46 (51)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
470440	2006-07-12 23:35:00	M$ pulled the plug on Windows 98, 98SE and ME: no more bug fixes, and no less remarkable longevity compared with other Windows releases . . . . . . . . (think of how few people persisted with the eight-year-old Windows 3 . 0 when Windows 98 shipped eight years ago), it hasn't stopped these old versions from hitting the inevitable end of a road when they pulled onto the internet freeway and got run over by Windows XP arrival in 2001 . Win 98, 98 SE and ME all began to die when XP shipped in spite of the CPR and triage, with a foundation so different from its predecessors that many new programs would run on only XP (and its older, corporate-oriented cousin, Windows 2000) . The operation was a success, however the patient died! These older releases officially moved into the software old soldiers' home when Microsoft made a batch of critical security fixes a Windows XP-only proposition . . . . . if you wanted a version of Internet Explorer that blocked pop-up ads and unwanted ActiveX software downloads, SP-2 is the only source . And now, those flavors of Windows are officially dead; the head knows it, but the feet shuffle on . A note on Microsoft's Web site ( . microsoft . com/windows/su . . . dofsupport . mspx" target="_blank">www . microsoft . com ) should end any denial: "Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date . " In other words: "Pound your own sand, kid!" Don't blame Microsoft for that . This is a money-driven company with a legal obligation to earn lots of it for its shareholders; it's not a public utility . It has no duty to keep supporting products that it hasn't sold in the past six years, and especially not when it could instead focus its attention on software far more people use . . . . . say . . . . . . . er . . . . Windows Vista, which is itself needed to fix some deep-seated security flaws in Windows XP . That's right! Vista will repair holes in XP . . . think of that! ' Told you that Vista was just another SP-xxx package for XP! The same things happen with other operating-system developers . . . . . . Apple has essentially held a pillow over the face of its pre-Mac OS X releases . Its last major update to Mac OS 9 came in the summer of 2001: that was stillborn by that time . Anybody with a commodity must make the same basic decision . . . . . in most cases it comes down against supporting antique operating systems released in the Paleozoic period for computers . Why put all those Twinkie eating, Red Bull drinking geeks to work making a product function in an eight-year-old copy of Windows when the very few (and growing fewer) people who might benefit from it have shown so little interest in computer upgrades in the first place; there ain't no $$'s there anyway . If you don't need to exceed the reach of a Win 98 (or a Mac OS 9), that's fine . You are permitted to use a sundial too, and compute with lines drawn on the cave wall with a piece of charcoal . Your computer won't black out at midnight any night soon . . . . although any computer that old, carries a substantial risk of a hard-drive crash that would yield the same effect . Now you get to become an IT Profesional! It means that you now have sole responsibility for keeping the computer safe . Thanks to the wonderful world of viruses and worms, your infected machine can become everybody else's problem in a hurry . . . . . a large proportion of the "malware" in circulation today was released to help spread spam and spyware to other computers . Here, we have the one potentially valid argument against Microsoft euthanizing its old releases -- that the company is ducking its responsibility to fix problems it helped create . It was their Frankenstein's monster in the first place . . . . the people with pitchforks and torches already know that . But in any practical sense, it doesn't matter: The quickest, easiest security fix for pre-2000 Windows isn't anything that Microsoft could produce even if it wanted to . . . . . . just switch to safer, non-Microsoft programs for the web and e-mail . Use the free Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer; Use any other e-mail program instead of Outlook Express . Most important, use your own common sense not to download or open files that look sketchy . It's no different from driving a classic car on the freeway: You don't have seat belts; you'd better be that much more careful . (On the other hand, a '57 Chevy is 'way cool; '98 Windows is not . )	SurferJoe46 (51)
470441	2006-07-13 00:20:00	Wow, I don't know why you are so excited about this. I still have Mac OS 9 (or even older) at work and they are fine. Most started to disappear though when the older macs gave up the ghost. No worms or viruses to worry about though. Loads of software vendors just announce when they will cease patching products .. so you know in advance. Most users won't care. Linux is there as an option. The rubbish bin is also a good place.	gibler (49)
470442	2006-07-13 01:04:00	............and if one is really desperate to stay with old technology and software, then DOS 6.22 with Arachne for basic surfing and email in an old banger but with ADSL for speed works a treat :)	Terry Porritt (14)
470443	2006-07-13 01:54:00	M$ pulled the plug on Windows 98, 98SE and ME: Win 98, 98 SE and ME all began to die when XP shipped It means that you now have sole responsibility for keeping the computer safe . But in any practical sense, it doesn't matter: Began to die? I see plenty of Win98 and ME machines all the time . And your second point - who is crazy enough to rely on MS for security in the first place? Your third point . Damn right it doesn't matter .	pctek (84)
470444	2006-07-13 07:12:00	Began to die? I see plenty of Win98 and ME machines all the time . And your second point - who is crazy enough to rely on MS for security in the first place? Your third point . Damn right it doesn't matter . My statement still stands . . . but you have to see it from this side: As NZ is basically still on dial-up, and there appears to be just a minor incursion of DSL there so far, it may slant things to look like 98, ME and even 95 are still very popular and viable . . . but that's not entirely the case with the rest of the world where now DSL is outpacing dial, and the difficiencies of the older platforms are sadly hurting for reliability and security . Even in the hacker's domains . . . Bulgaria, Korea, China, Russia, Spain etc, they use XP or Linux for their nasties and I think that's a statement on reliability too . When the playing field gets leveled by DSL, then there won't be the support or should I say, the users, of the old stuff much more . Since trojans and viruses and malware of all types pretty much leave the dial-ups alone, looking for faster connections when and where DSL is installed and run, the old creaky platforms really show their age and susceptability to malware . And since 98 doesn't have the SP-2 package for at least some semblance of security, then the old stuff stands as an oxmoron: obsolete and hackable . That's the only real and valid point to the current trend and hubbub about 98, 95 and whatever archaic platforms people are still running . I personally keep a museum piece (Compaq 333mhz P III) with 98SE running for fun, and have it networked to run on my DSL router . . . . but it's just for kicks and giggles . . . I don't trust it very much or far for the important stuff I need to do . . . like post here in F1 . Personally, I like 98SE . . . it's quick, reliable after tweaks to make it run newer hardware, and that is probably it's downfall . It's still a dinosaur worthy of extinction . I never had 98 years ago, and I can only play with it in a not-so-serious mode as a noob to it anyway . I got onto the internet with ME, then 2000, then XP-Pro on dial up, so I am a little sour on going backwards . My prior experience was the old Pet 40-40 system on the CBM platform, and the Vic20, C>64, C>128 and Amigo 1000 writing in Forth and Cobal . That was a long time ago in puter generations . See? I could be a stick-in-the-mud too! They don't build them like that any more . . . thank goodness!	SurferJoe46 (51)
470445	2006-07-13 08:17:00	As NZ is basically still on dial-up, and there appears to be just a minor incursion of DSL there so far, it may slant things to look like 98, ME and even 95 are still very popular and viable... Since trojans and viruses and malware of all types pretty much leave the dial-ups alone, And since 98 doesn't have the SP-2 package for at least some semblance of security, then the old stuff stands as an oxmoron: obsolete and hackable. What has intenet connection methods have to do with age of operating systems? Nothing. And guess what dialup users still get malware! This may be news to you but gasp...its true! Theres even one thats specific to dialup - phone dialers! CAn't say I've ever seen a PC with all the latest MS patches etc and no 3rd party protection on it - with no malware. They usually consist of all the patches and masses of malware. So sorry your Microsoft Vista promotion doesn't cut it. And I think you'll find MS won't pay you any commission either...	pctek (84)
1