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Win 9x support stopping all-around


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#1
Dragon306

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Do you guys think that the fact that Microsoft is ending Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME support means that general software titles from MS and others, such as MS Office, basic games, and more such basic home-use software will also quickly stop supporting installation and use of Windows 9x-based machines?? is it now completely useless and obsolete, meaning new software will join MS in the end of Win 9x support??

a LOT of computer users still use Windows 9x-based machines, either by choice or not, and it will really suck for a lot of people if Windows 9x support is universally abandoned, as it looks like it is going to be!!!

opinions???
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#2
Neil Jones

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Office hasn't supported Windows 98*Guest since Office XP came out a couple of years back so it isn't exactly anything new.

Other software goes down the same route - Google Earth only runs on XP. Adobe Reader 7 only runs on XP. New hardware is now only providing drivers for Windows 2000 and XP. It will only be a matter of time before nothing new is available for Windows 9x.

As the older systems are still fully functional, there's nothing to stop you continuing to use 98*Guest for as long as you want, as I understand the updates will still be available for the next year - there just won't be any new ones. The systems aren't just going to keel over and die, there will always be 3rd party support just as there still is for DOS 6.22 which fell out of favour ten years ago.

And support for Windows 95 was dropped six years ago. Windows 98 still stands up as a very nice operating system despite its shortcomings in certain areas as a result of its age.
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#3
Dragon306

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"Windows 98 still stands up as a very nice operating system despite its shortcomings in certain areas as a result of its age."

that is exactly what i am saying! personally, when i refurbish computers to be sold, i try to give them a better OS then 9x because of support reasons. either Windows 2000 Pro or XP. but, for example, i just sold a refurbished Compaq Armada 7800 laptop w/ 300mhz P2 and 64mb RAM. it had Windows 98SE on it. and you know, i used Win98SE on my good P3 system for a LONG time before i got 2K Pro then a few months later XP. it is, as you say, still a stable and quite useable OS, and it is one of the best OSs for tweaking and customizing ever. granted, that may be due to its primitive DOS-based roots, but regardless... and plus, you know what? it still serves better then a newer NT based OS for some things. for example, i still sometimes pull out my old Dell XPS P200 and play Doom II and Heretic on it! i dont think it should be entirely abandoned by modern software...
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