Question on 98SE VS windowsME

[jsfiat]

I am a die hard 98se fan only cause I am used to it. I recently aquired a Windows me op software and wonder if I should be switching? Are there definate advantages over 98se? I worry that my scanner(firewire Umax) and my DV camcorder (JVC DVM90U) may not operate on that system. Thanks for any input.
It seems no matter how good a system I put together, I always run into blue screen or fatal errors every so often. Athlon 2200+ 512mb pc2700 two 80gigWD raid for perf. and an Msi KT3 Ultra board.

 

[CubicZirconia]

Are there definate advantages over 98se?

No, advantages in ME are nonexistant. Do not install it. I repeat, do not install it.

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia

Are there definate advantages over 98se?

No, advantages in ME are nonexistant. Do not install it. I repeat, do not install it.

I agree 200%. Don't do it.

I still have one Win98SE box and love it. Bought ME when it first came out. No matter what I did I never could get a stable system. After a few months I sold ME and haven't looked back.

 

[HermitGuy]

I always run into blue screen or fatal errors every so often.

You will run into them more often with windowsME, don't do it!!

I ran winME for a year, it was usable but definitely less stable.

Good luck whatever you decide!

I'm a happy XP user now.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Really no compelling reason to go with WinME. Yes, it has a few more "features" than Win98 like system restore and Movie-maker(IIRC), but really not worth it. Don't forget that sometimes, "Features" equals "Bugs"

 

[johnlog]

I have been running Windows ME on one of my computers since ME was released. Runs great with no problems.

ME works with my old Mustek 8000 SCSI scanner and its scanning software. Runs great with Omni Page Pro 11 and several other scanning capable programs I have installed on it.

That computer was screwed up by children untechs from PacBell (trying to install DSL) who totally destroyed the win98 SE I had installed on it. The children techs (young persons) could not even get their own NIC installed on it. They deleted all kinds of files and programs on the computer until 98 SE could barely boot up about once every ten tries. I installed their NIC on my Athlon computer successfully in a few minutes.

I figured I would do a clean install for ME but decided why not see what happens if I install ME over the sick 98 SE first and I got a perfect installation to this day. Never had a problem with ME and it runs all the time without crashing.

How much better than 98 SE? ME runs great. 98SE also ran great (before the kids screwed it up) but it appears to me ME is more stable than 98 SE was on the same computer.

Has anyone noticed the notes Preview screen does not work or it is very slow in coming up with the note? Worked OK earier today.:frown:

 

[jsfiat]

thanks all for the replies. sounds like if you are going to upgrade to a new op sysytem, XP is probably the way to go.

 

[Mem]

thanks all for the replies. sounds like if you are going to upgrade to a new op sysytem, XP is probably the way to go.

Yep ,I`ve WinXP on my new PC (well year old now) and 98 on my old PC,I`ve not got the heart yet to reformat my old PC and install WinXP ,too many good memories with using 98,as for XP it`s 100% stable for me .WinME wise avoid it like the plague .

 

[DonaldC]

Tried ME on my 98SE machine with terrible results. Stayed with 98SE until XP. Now I dual boot.

 

[Thor86]

WinXP is the way to go if you are looking to upgrade from Win98SE. Or as the previous poster stated, dual boot if you really want to keep Win98SE.

 

[osage]

SE, Win2K, XP..anything but ME

 

[Frankie]

I got a laptop from a buddy of mine and his had WinME installed on it. I don't know if it was him or ME, most likely him LOL, that screwed it up but I couldn't even open a folder without it locking up. He told me he had nothing but problems with ME. I put Win2K on it and it runs like a champ. I won't touch XP until either Microsoft gets rid of the crappy protection that scans my computer for hardware changes or I ABSOLUTLY need it for something. I change my hardware on a regular basis, every year just about, and I'm not going to be calling Microsoft every time I change it to a point that windows won't work any more. Plus I have computers now, 2 PC's and a laptop, and I'm not going to go and by XP for all them since I own them. I've ended my rant now. LOL

 

[starwarsdad]

Another vote for anything other than Windows Me. I cannot believe that even Microsoft let something that bad get out. Win Me is the most pitiful excuse for an OS I have seen. I would rather run Windows 95 than Me.

That being said, if you have a 1GHz or faster processor and more than 256 MB of RAM XP Home is not to bad.

 

[johnlog]

star*,

You are under a dilusion if you think ME is unstable. It has been as stable as anything can be on one of my computers. No problems at all with it.

Seems persons like you get on a rant and your mind is made up and nothing can shake it. ME is a great running OS. At one time I had it on two of my computers and neither one had any problems with ME.

Sometimes a person can install a program that can screw up any OS. Or they tweak their OS into a doorstop trying to eek out the one more FPM. Or over clock their computers into a doorstop. That is user error.

 

[starwarsdad]

Originally posted by: johnlog
star*,

You are under a dilusion if you think ME is unstable. It has been as stable as anything can be on one of my computers. No problems at all with it.

Seems persons like you get on a rant and your mind is made up and nothing can shake it. ME is a great running OS. At one time I had it on two of my computers and neither one had any problems with ME.

Sometimes a person can install a program that can screw up any OS. Or they tweak their OS into a doorstop trying to eek out the one more FPM. Or over clock their computers into a doorstop. That is user error.

I would have preferred to have this conversation via PM, but you don't have them enabled.

First, I do not overclock nor do I try to tweak out every little frame or extra % point in diagnostic utilities.

I use my computers for business, research, and entertainment.

That being said, I work with computers for my livelyhood and support 100 machines running Windows 2000, RH Linux, OS 9.2, and OS X. I also own a small computer consulting business and work with 100's of people in my area. (Just trying to establish a few credentials for you )

Windows Me, by Microsoft's own admission, was a thrown together OS to get a consumer product to market to coincide with the release of Windows 2000. ( I will look for a link to the admission by MS when I get done typing this.)

While some of the features in Me are nice to have and handy (the arguement that these should be separate software packages instead of part of the OS can be had another time.), they are too much for the 9x kernel and the FAT32 file system to effectively manage.

I applaud your success at running Me stably. I have seen too many instances firsthand though of everday, "vanilla" users having stability issues that could only be attributed in the end to the OS itself to recommend the product to anyone in good conscience.

Oh and by the way johnlog, I see no reason to attack me or my post as "delusional". I simply stated my experiences with the product, as you stated yours.

Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one.

 

[jsfiat]

That's why this forum is so good. It really brings out the opinons. But that is exactly what your looking for when you ask a question in this forum. I really didn't want to go to Best Buy and ask a question like that or even micrsoft.
Thanks for very passionate responses that are obviously based on real life user scenarios.

 

[jsfiat]

Ooops, I meant Microcenter