Windows 98 - Deep insights, facts and development

In 1998, the long-awaited successor to the bug-ridden and incompatible Windows 95 hit the shelves and was greeted with a wave of relief in the computer world. At last, Microsoft was able to realize its dream: An operating system that would meet the requirements of beginners.

Windows 98 was designed to be easy to use (drivers, installation, setup and wizards) and therefore also attracted newcomers. However, not only the user interface but also many functions were revised, which triggered a general revolution in the computer business.

Many people today are not aware that Windows 98 has made a significant contribution to the boom in computers, and at a price of DM 249 that was almost a gift.

A new colorful world - Windows 98 and the new features at a glance

Here we present all the innovations of the time, which caused a sensation on the operating system market.

The dawn of an online world - Internet Explorer 4.0
Microsoft wanted to make up for the mistakes of the failed Internet Explorer 2 and 3 versions and presented a completely renewed browser for Windows 98, which was much more compatible and easier to use than its predecessors. The range of functions is also far superior to that of its predecessors, which ultimately led to the breakthrough of IE 4.0 - it made the Internet famous, as many more users dared to take their first steps into the global data network.

Internet Explorer 4.0 achieved the breakthrough of the networked world

Meanwhile, Internet Explorer 6.0 has been released, which stands out for its new features and superior speed and security. However, you will learn more about this in a later article.
The new Windows 98 web view in Explorer
Especially for Windows 95 users, a modified view in Explorer was interesting, which provided many folder-oriented tasks. In addition to the information about the folder (name, access, size, etc.), previews (thumbnails) of an image or an Internet Explorer file were also displayed, which increased the convenience a little.

The new Windows 98 web view conveniently offered a lot of interesting information

Unfortunately, this view also delayed access times to folders and files, which led to a noticeable loss of speed, especially on slow computers. Fortunately, this function can be easily switched off.
DVD and USB support on board as standard
But it was not just the software side that had changed a lot: hardware support was also extended to include the universal serial bus (USB), which was very successful thanks to its simple installation, even during operation.

Microsoft also recognized the coming boom in DVD media at an early stage and added this extension to Windows 98, although it was not used until 1999/2000, when the first films found their way onto the shelves.

The speed of Windows 98 under the magnifying glass

Microsoft has tried to keep its new operating system fast and efficient compared to Windows 95, despite numerous resource-consuming innovations. Both the Windows registry and the Windows kernel (the heart of Windows) have been completely overhauled, which has slightly increased the speed of games and office applications. The fact that Windows 98 uses less than 30 megabytes of RAM is also commendable and has a positive effect on speed, especially in today's world (with RAM sizes of 256 MB to 512 MB).

Unfortunately, the joy is clouded by the still integrated DOS (Disk Operating System), as the relics of the past slow down the new processors a little. This becomes clear in comparison to Windows 2000/XP, which can do without DOS completely.

The stability of Windows 98 - crash-proof?

With its predecessor Windows 95, Microsoft really didn't win any laurels when it came to having the most stable and crash-proof operating system. The long-suffering user had to fight his way through exception errors and blue screens of death until he could continue his work without any problems. Driver problems and software errors were often the cause. Unfortunately, these unstable programs always took Windows down with them, which meant a reboot and possible data loss.
Windows NT and its successors 2000 and XP are more advanced in this respect. Even a program crash cannot cause you to falter due to the completely changed architecture. A program only crashes in user mode, while the actual kernel remains untouched and the program can be safely removed from memory.
But what about Windows 98? Does it have the necessary stability to be able to assert itself in the tough world of work? Only in part!

Many new functions make Windows 98 a more stable operating system than its predecessor in the 95 version. Unfortunately, the overall situation doesn't look very good for the sleek new Windows either. Crashes due to driver problems, the famous screen freezing and blue screens - this is also a sad reality with the new Windows, but this does not mean that it crashes permanently. Only if a program becomes unstable does it drag your operating system down with it.

How secure is Windows 98? An insight into the security features

For most users, computer security is still the top priority. They want absolute and permanent protection for their files, programs and settings. Attacks from outside, e.g. by hackers or unauthorized persons, should also be fended off just as successfully as protection against other people tampering with your PC.

The password properties of Windows 98 (as with 95) are merely useless attempts at obfuscation. Clicking Cancel in this password dialog allows any user to gain full access to the computer. Creating multiple separate user accounts remains reserved for Windows NT systems.
Encrypting files is also a dream that does not come true with Win98. Anyone who relies on security is completely misguided with Windows 98 and should familiarize themselves with professional operating systems.

Conclusion: Is Windows 98 suitable for you?

This question is very easy to answer. If you have your computer at home and you enjoy watching movies, playing computer games, listening to music or browsing the Internet as well as working on common Office applications, Windows 98 is highly recommended. The speed and functions are sufficient for this and for most common programs.

Every professional should think carefully about buying Win98. The stability and security leave a lot to be desired and the network functions are very limited, which is why Windows 2000/XP would be more suitable here.

If you have now decided on Windows 98, you can read here how to install it: Windows 98 Installation - Understandable step by step instructions.

Addition: The Windows 98 screenshot collection for first impressions

This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows tweaks archive, which has been built up since the end of the 1990s.