Win98, A Comprehensive Analysis

Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 98 is not so amazingly different from Windows 95 that it'll knock you socks off, but as an upgrade, it's very satisfying, indeed. Here are 28 reasons why.

1. Internet Explorer 4.0 is fully integrated into Windows 98, including all the attendant applications and the entire Windows interface update (called shell enhancements under IE 4) with its numerous convenience improvements.

2. The all-new setup process is more reliable than Win95's setup. It's also more efficient: Once you set the Copy to Disk process in motion, you can walk away.

3.The new FAT32 file system conversion utility allows you to convert your hard drive from FAT16 to FAT32 for a 20 percent to 30 percent gain in usable disk space without disturbing your data. Windows NT 5.0 will fully support FAT32.

4. You can upgrade from Windows 3.x or Win95, and the system can be uninstalled back to the previous operating system. Windows NT 5.0 will also be able to upgrade a Win98 installation.

5. About 98 percent of the Microsoft Plus 95 features are built into Windows 98, including all the desktop themes and the visual enhancements.

6. Windows Explorer operation is noticeably faster and able to multitask better (based on our subjective assessment).

7. Microsoft claims core components of the operating system were optimized for speed.

8. WinAlign and Intel Application Launch Accelerator technology (implemented in Disk Defragmenter) combine to offer increased application launch speed. To engage those performance benefits, you must run the Maintenance Wizard and then run Disk Defragmenter. If you were running Win95 without IE 4.0, you may not notice these benefits.

9. Window 98 shuts down faster than Win95 (it boots faster, too).

10. Microsoft claims the improved TCP/IP stack is faster and more reliable with features such as faster retransmit and recovery, selective acknowledgements, and support for large windows.

11. Win98 adds support for USB, Intel MMX, DVD, 1394 (FireWire), ACPI, AGP, IrDA and PC Card32 (CardBus).

12. It also includes 1,200 new hardware drivers and incorporates all Win95 security patches.

13. The new Win32 Driver Model (WDM) allows drivers written for NT to work under Windows 98. This provides a means by which hardware makers can write a single driver that works under Win98 and NT 5.0. Unfortunately, support for WDM video drivers did not make it into Win98.

14. MultiMon feature supports from two to nine monitors (and display adapters) simultaneously. With two monitors you can share the desktop space, running applications in both and dragging and dropping them back and forth for increased productivity.

15. WebTV for Windows support, new to Win98, adds reception of a TV image in a window on your monitor (with a TV tuner card installed in you PC), and several other Internet/Broadcast TV-related functions.

16. Win98 lays the groundwork for OnNow implementation in PCs. This is a Microsoft initiative based on ACPI power management that seeks to add an instant-on and instant-off capability to Windows-based PCs that will let them function more like appliances.

17. Win 98's Maintenance Wizard invokes the WinAlign process, runs Defrag and performs other functions that tune up your PC.

18. Windows Update lets you access Microsoft's online database and automatically update drivers, system files and software that are installed on your PC. This means no more searching for those Service Packs. You can even uninstall the new updates if you notice incompatibilities.

19. You'll find a hoard of new or significantly updated system maintenance and configuration utilities that include: System Recovery, TweakUI, System Information, System Configuration Tool, Version Conflict Manager, System File Checker, Automatic Skip Driver Agent, Dr. Watson, Registry Checker, Maintenance Wizard, Scheduled Tasks, Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup. Significantly upgraded applets include Backup and Imaging.

20. The PowerToy, QuickRes, has been incorporated into the Win98 interface. (Those who upgraded to Windows 95 B already got this.)

21. Win98 makes multiple backups of your Registry and automatically restores it if a problem has been detected.

22. Improved memory management permits more apps to run concurrently without running out of system resources. In our subjective experience, Win98 does seem hardier than its predecessor.

23. The Windows 98 Scripting Host lets you script VBScript and JavaScript directly to Explorer or Desktop as well as to the command line. It's the closest thing to a native batch language for Windows that Microsoft's ever delivered.

24. Network enhancements include the new TCP/IP stack, better NetWare support, the latest Dial-Up Networking version and virtual private networking, tweaked TAPI, and native support for ATM. Among other things, you can bond two analog modem lines to double your modem connection rate--if you can find an ISP that supports that.

25. Win98's ACPI supports the Advanced Power Management (APM) 1.2 extensions, including disk spin-down and PC Card) modem power-down for greater battery life on portables.

26. The HTML-based Online Help system is more easily extensible than the previous Help system.

27. Win98 incorporates DirectX 5 and the latest version of ActiveMovie.

28. Microsoft Fax is no longer included in Windows, but the operating system will leave any preexisting version of MS Fax in place on upgrade installations. Outlook 98 is now the harbinger of e-mail-to-fax solutions.

This article appeared in Windows Magazine. They kindly allowed me to post this very well written study