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."

Comments

I am actually impressed...

[garcia]

Wow. MS has really been listening to users recently... This particular move came even faster than the idea to include a more configurable firewall and popup blocking! I am actually quite impressed. Perhaps they are learning THIS from Linux? Listen to your users and make changes quickly to fit what they want and need?

At first you would think that they would want to "force" users to upgrade to XP/beyond but they realized that it probably will not happen for most users that are still running 98. If you can't beat them join them?

Being a recent re-convert from Linux back to Windows (still use Linux for a lot but Windows solely for "desktop stuff") I am glad to see that it was worth paying the "MS tax" on the new computers I recently purchased.

Just my worthless babbling,

Re:I am actually impressed...

[gl4ss]

they are still forcing the same way they have been forcing for a few years.

there's practically no new stuff coming out for win98(drivers, software, hardware..) and this 'support' doesn't mean that it's getting everything patched either and made sure it would run on modern hardware, it just would mean that there's somebody that would take your support call(and may or may not prove assitance enough to be of any use). now they don't just act as if win98 doesn't exist(which is pretty much what they threated to do).

if you can't milk them one way milk them/us the other way.

Re:I am actually impressed...

[gad_zuki!]

> Wow. MS has really been listening to users recently..

Maybe, maybe not. Homeland security is now in charge of taking care of the net. Perhaps BillG got a phone call from Tom Ridge saying, "You will patch those systems." For good or bad. Leaving Win98 root exploits alone would be problematic to say the least. Its either this or the *shudder* the mandatory federal firewall.

The above is all conjecture, but what else could make MS change its mind so quickly?

Well, good.

[Metallic Matty]

I won't claim to have ever been a fan of Microsoft, but this seems this seems like a genuinely nice move. Rather than force many people to either a) live without continued updates and tech support or b) upgrade to newer Microsoft OS software (which isn't cheap by most people's standards, including mine.)

The consumer wins in this one. Yay for that.

Re:Sadly Enough

[garcia]

Well I think MS realizes that if they start a push towards upgrades there is the possibility that the fees involved might push the coporates to free alternatives... Maybe by pushing for upgrades only with Office and backend items they can leave 98 on the desktops and save themselves from companies going with a mass conversion to Linux?

Security?

[Shakey_Jake33]

Perhaps MS is trying to look at the big picture? I mean, like it or not, a large amount of internet users, especially coperate and home users who see little reason to upgrade from their 200's, are still using Windows 98. And rightly so from their perspective. Many people just want to use the internet, do a bit of word processing now and then and so-on, and from their perspective, there is little reason to move OS, or even upgrade computer. And with such a large amount of internet users still on this OS, maybe MS saw that keeping this secure is a near-requirement? I'm sure MS would love everyone to move to XP, but I'm sure even they know that that's not happening.

Longhorn release date?

[Dreadlord]

I wonder if it has anything to do with longhorn release date, which is supposed to be released in 2006, or maybe they've found that they won't be able to release longhorn in 2006, so decided to extend their old OS's support?

Repackage and Sell Again

[JoeCommodore]

I think they should try and clean it up an then start selling it as "Windows Classic" for whatever faults it has is has been an extremely popular OS for the consumer market.

Re:Sadly Enough

[Anonymous Coward]

It isn't inertia, it's ROI. I'd bet you a million dollars that if you magically and seamlessly transformed every Windows 98 corporate installation into 2003 or XP Pro today, that by the end of the year revenues would not be affected... at least not positively.

Corporate change requires urgency-borne motivation. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" may be a highly ironic cliche to wield when discussing Windows 98, but it's the fundamental reason for upgrade lag.

Other countries out there

[aml666]

I do some projects with companies in other countries (Venezuela, Brazil, ...). I have yet to do business with a company that has an OS later than Windows 98. These poorer countries/businesses(US as well) simply can't afford to upgrade. Unlike most "consumer-minded" Americans, there are a lot of people out there who actually can not see any benefit in upgrading from an OS that does what they need.

Windows 98 works fro most small business needs (especially if they are not on the internet). I believe that this also applies to Office 97. I still use Office 2000 and OpenOffice.

Jumping to Linux.

[Anonymous Coward]

My previous computer (450Mhz PIII with 64MB ram) was a Windows 98 machine. I was fed up Windows Failing me, and with Windows XP out (no way was it going to run on my machine) and MS trying to make me switch, so I switched, to Mandrake Linux in December 2001. I kept windows on there until April 2002 for the transition period though.

KDE 2.2 was a lot better than the Windows 98 desktop and thanks to Wine I got my legacy applications working and I was incredibly happy.

Now Ive got my new computer with SuSE 9.0 (1666Mhz with 768 Mb RAM), I won't ever want to go back to Windows if they paid me. Still I know two freinds still on Windows 9x, both with older machines, (233mhz with 32Mb RAM and 800mhz with 64Mb ram) Should I convince them to switch or convince them to get a new computer?

Re:Sadly Enough

[greenhide]

inherent benefits

What inherent benefits?

Okay, granted, Windows 2000, 2003 or whatever version they're peddling now is supposedly more secure and offers more features, but if an operating system works for you and you're familiar with it, what is the benefit in upgrading to an unfamiliar system?

I think within the geek mindset, there's an assumption that of course people would always want the latest and greatest. The truth is, they want what works.

Now, I myself use OS X, but my boss's computer runs Windows 98. He doesn't want to send Microsoft another dime -- he's somewhat upset with their crazy licensing. However, he still wants to be able to use the Windows-based software that he's got on his machine, and no, uninstalling everything and running some windows emulator on top of Linux is not something I can get him excited about.

If it has to be called inertia, then inertia can sometimes be a good thing. I call it pragmatism.

Or,

"If it ain't broke..."

Re:Sadly Enough

[JediTrainer]

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...

Ok, I confess...

I'M still running 98SE on my home machine. Yes, still. I dual-boot with Linux, of course, but in order to use the VPN software my company provides (no, our VPN is not IPSEC unfortunately), I need Windows. And Outlook so I can get my email.

Why haven't I upgraded? Because it's good enough. I don't want to give MS any more of my money, where I trade a working OS with bugs I'm now fairly familiar with for a new OS that's going to cost me more money and give me little benefit.

If it ain't broke...