Right you are "If it aint broke don't fix it!". In regard to windows 98 SE I use a system with that OS for all of my research but it is hardly "out of the box". It has the Unofficial Service Pack installed (98SE2XP), Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Thunderbird, AVG 7.5 (free), Spybot, Addaware, Sygate Personal Firewall 5.5, Total Uninstaller and Roxio Goback 3.0 and CCleaner. I also run Tcpview at startup. I also use Mikes Add Host File.
I do not use IM. I am not running Microsoft Networks. I have been using this system on a daily basis for over 5 years. It uses all of my 512 MB of system ram . GoBack changes the MBR in such a way that I can't access the drives from a boot CD if GoBack is enabled, neither Linux Live cd's or Hiren's boot CD will recognize the file system. Most sites recognize my system as an unknown operating system running Netscape.
I have NEVER been infected with a Visus, Spyware, Addware, Popups or any other anomalies. That seems like pretty good security to me. I use Roadrunner Cable. My Network only uses TCP/IP. No other protocols are enabled. I run P2P programs, BitTorrent and any other damn thing I want to. I can even play WMP 10 files. My system does not "Phone Home".
It is the last M$ version I have full control of. It belongs to me. I can put it on any machine I damn well please. Other than my need to run CMD files for BartPe builds I would have no use for XP at all. So why in the he11 would I need Vista? My 98 SE Runs better on my 1.2 GHZ Amd Duron processor with an ATI 64 Meg AGP card than XP does with a 2.1 GHZ Sempron with a GIG of ram and a 256 Meg ATI X1300 pro PCI-e graphics card.
As for MS support, Who Cares! If I ever do get infected, if Goback ever fails, which it never has, I can always roll the OS back to my last good working image. All my data is on a seperate partition from the OS and it is backed up to a seperate drive.
Eventually I will need to upgrade due to a hardware failure or a lack of support for the Virus scanner or some other critical software. When that happens I might move up to win2K but more likely Ubuntu will be my sole source for online activities. Anything I need M$ for I can handle with VMware, wine or multi-booting. Familiarity has a great deal to do with my attachment to windows ; but enough is enough! It is far better to learn a new OS that will allow me the freedom I choose than to be enslaved to an OS over which I have no choice!
When I install Vista I don't own it IT OWNS ME! I really don't need M$ telling me what I can and can not do. I can do anything I damn well please, and I can do it without M$ sniffing up my butt to see if it's OK!
GaryDaGeek
MCP/MCSA
Slashdot Mirror
Right you are "If it aint broke don't fix it!". In regard to windows 98 SE I use a system with that OS for all of my research but it is hardly "out of the box". It has the Unofficial Service Pack installed (98SE2XP), Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Thunderbird, AVG 7.5 (free), Spybot, Addaware, Sygate Personal Firewall 5.5, Total Uninstaller and Roxio Goback 3.0 and CCleaner. I also run Tcpview at startup. I also use Mikes Add Host File. I do not use IM. I am not running Microsoft Networks. I have been using this system on a daily basis for over 5 years. It uses all of my 512 MB of system ram . GoBack changes the MBR in such a way that I can't access the drives from a boot CD if GoBack is enabled, neither Linux Live cd's or Hiren's boot CD will recognize the file system. Most sites recognize my system as an unknown operating system running Netscape. I have NEVER been infected with a Visus, Spyware, Addware, Popups or any other anomalies. That seems like pretty good security to me. I use Roadrunner Cable. My Network only uses TCP/IP. No other protocols are enabled. I run P2P programs, BitTorrent and any other damn thing I want to. I can even play WMP 10 files. My system does not "Phone Home". It is the last M$ version I have full control of. It belongs to me. I can put it on any machine I damn well please. Other than my need to run CMD files for BartPe builds I would have no use for XP at all. So why in the he11 would I need Vista? My 98 SE Runs better on my 1.2 GHZ Amd Duron processor with an ATI 64 Meg AGP card than XP does with a 2.1 GHZ Sempron with a GIG of ram and a 256 Meg ATI X1300 pro PCI-e graphics card. As for MS support, Who Cares! If I ever do get infected, if Goback ever fails, which it never has, I can always roll the OS back to my last good working image. All my data is on a seperate partition from the OS and it is backed up to a seperate drive. Eventually I will need to upgrade due to a hardware failure or a lack of support for the Virus scanner or some other critical software. When that happens I might move up to win2K but more likely Ubuntu will be my sole source for online activities. Anything I need M$ for I can handle with VMware, wine or multi-booting. Familiarity has a great deal to do with my attachment to windows ; but enough is enough! It is far better to learn a new OS that will allow me the freedom I choose than to be enslaved to an OS over which I have no choice! When I install Vista I don't own it IT OWNS ME! I really don't need M$ telling me what I can and can not do. I can do anything I damn well please, and I can do it without M$ sniffing up my butt to see if it's OK! GaryDaGeek MCP/MCSA