should I upgrade and if so too what?

[Brian1154]

I have been using win 98se for years with no problems at all
i dont really play games much, really all computer is used for is net surfing, burning cds, some record keeping.

would it be benificial to upgrade?

what would you upgrade to win XP or win 2000 ?

I have heard some horror stories about XP and
could really use some good opinions on this.

Thank you

p.s. if it will help my system is a AMD XP 1800, 1024 ddr memory
40 gb hd, LG DVD, LG CDR, and i do keep 98 clean and all the current service patches and bug fixes

[ranchdog]

If Win98SE works for you then my suggestion

is just to stay with it.

W2K was basiclly designed as a server O/S. XP was

designed basically for the $$ aspect. One PC.... One O/S.

;)

[john5211]

Hi Brian,

IMHO, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you are able to do everything you want to do with Windows 98, why bother spending a couple hundred buck to "upgrade" to something that may or may not be better suited for your needs.

For what it's worth, I've been using XP for about 6 months without any problems. It has been exceptionally stable and has done everything I wanted it to do. I think the biggest complaint I have heard has to do with activation, but that not a technical issue (although you should consider it if you decide to buy XP).

Good Luck whatever you decide.

John

[jabarnutcase]

Hi Brian-

I have to somewhat agree with ranchdog and John. If 98SE is working well and suits your needs, why not stay with it a while longer.

Like John, I am using XP Pro now, and really like it a lot. However, I was using ME before that, which I always had problems with. I think 98SE is a lot better OS than ME was.

At any rate, if you do decide to go for it, I would highly recommend that you go with a clean install and not an upgrade.

Xp and 2000 are different beasts. I actually did an "upgrade" first and ran into problems with instability etc.

Finally did a format and clean install, changed over to the NTFS file system, and everything is great.
Of course, with all that comes a lot of time and headaches.:eek:

So, as much as I love XP now, as John mentioned: "IMHO, if it ain't broke, don't fix it".:)

Just hang in there though, there's sure to be more opinions comming your way!:D

[Steve]

Just remember the old saying. "If it ain't broke...you just aren't trying hard enough!" :eek:

All seriousness aside, Win 98 is a good OS. If it does all you need, keep it. Unless... you're bored. If you have the money and you feel like geekin' out, go for it. Any of the OS's on the market will work. Some better than others. ;)

[HewittC4]

I agree with everyone, only upgrade if you have a need for it. One other potential problem that hasn't been mentioned yet, XP doesn't have drivers for every piece of hardware out there. While the majority of hardware has XP drivers now, there are still those that either don't have one yet, or will never have one. Make sure you check the HCL for XP before you upgrade.

[Vic 970]

what can I add to my sig. :D

If you want a real headache, try triple booting 2 windows 1 linux :confused:

[diurnal]

I would upgrade to XP for a change, although i would do a clean install instead of a upgrade. Upgrades are messy, in my experience, but clean installs are the way to go. Also with the hardware you listed , every thing should be compatible ..

But its up to you in the end, Xp got some new and fresh features you might take a liken to . No knock on 98 though its still the compatible monster. And also with the type of work your doing you should have no problems with compatibity.. cya

[RGalarza75]

I had the same question a couple of months ago... talked to a few tech buddies and read all the material I could. I went ahead and installed Windows 2000 on my system. It may be simply driver issues, but I feel that Windows 2000 runs MUCH more smoothly on my system than Win95 or Win98 ever did. NTFS file system alone was a big reason I switched. Now, I've run the Windows course just as much as others here will say... began on the old Win3.11 Workgroups. I have had less problems with 2000 than any previous system so far. Now, a little warning: I had to download "better" drivers (more compatible) for a couple hardware components, but they are easily found (check out http://www.driverguide.com). Also, if you are on the internet for any decent amount of time (on cable/DSL/T1, etc) and/or use chat or FTP type programs (or WinMX, etc.) you definitely should get Win2K for the security features and use a firewall (Sygate Personal Firewall works pretty decently... and best of all its FREE right off their website!!) Read up on compatibilities on the Windows website - make sure that your hardware will work properly and/or there are updated drivers available. Secondly, if you do decide to go for it... you absolutely want to do a "Clean Install" (save your needed files and start all over). I don't write too often to this discussion forum, but I thought I'd give you my two cents worth. Hope it helps! ;)

[RGalarza75]

If you are in doubt... from what you posted, you appear to have plenty of room on your hard drive. You should try partitioning your drive and clean install Win2K on the empty partition. That way, you can boot from either OS and check it out. Later, if you want, you can upgrade the first or just do a clean install on the whole drive (you can delete the partition you created if you want).