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Microsoft Extends Win98/SE Support
An anonymous reader writes "ZDNet reports that Microsoft is extending technical support for Windows 98 till 30 June 2006, despite being days away from switching support to a CD. It seems Windows 98 will also have all necessary security updates till the new expiry date." The article states that Microsoft will have "...During that time paid over-the-phone support will be available, and "critical" security issues will be reviewed and "appropriate steps" taken."
Even if support had been switched to a CD, MS had still pledged to provide security related fixes, AFAIK.
FYI, as of Office 2003, you have to have either W2K sp3 or WinXP. Office XP looks like the last one to support Win98. The ongoing saga of 98 support being cancelled is why I bought the Microsoft Action Pack (were they not going to cancel support back last summer? The dates have changed so many times I can't remember). I mainly run MS stuff at home due being able to support work (and I don't think Reader Rabbit runs under Linux very well). To upgrade to WinXP Pro at home was going to cost me on the order of $500 at oem pricing, plus the cost of other app upgrades. For $300 US I got a 10 user license of XP Pro, all the server products and a 10 user license of Office XP and now Office 2003. I don't like supporting the evil empire, but with this I am supporting them a lot less than I used to.
"It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)
It only makes sense that 98 is still widely used, as upgrading to 2K/XP costs more than my mother-in-law is willing to spend on the stuff that lets her read her email...
I ran 98SE for *years* before switching to Linux, and for John Q. Homeuser who has AOL and doesn't use the internet for anything more than checking local movie start times and ordering flowers for his wife's birthday, it's enough.
well, it's nothing one behind the ear wouldn't cure