Windows ME VS 98SE ?

[aztec]

Am currently running 98se, just installed a cable modem and everytime I shut my system down it drops the modem. I then have to remove the adapter, shut down, pull the usb connecter from my box, reboot, re connect the usb and then it will reinstall the modem and work again.

Best we can tell is Windows is corrupted and not remembering what it's settings are. I'm going to install a new hard drive anyway so am thinking of loading ME. I ran it in the past with no probs, but when I did my last rebuild I loaded 98se, as many people here said it was better for gaming.

My question is...why is 98se better for gaming than ME, and does anyone have any insight to my modem problem? Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated, thx ,

aztec

System;
ECS K7S5A  Mobo
1.4 Gig Athlon
98se
DX8.1
512 megs DDR Ram (Micron)
Geforce2 Ultra 64 meg (21.83 Drivers)
SB Live
Motorola SB4101 modem

[Eagler]

My vote is for Win98

I use win98 and cable modem - np

It is ethernet not usb, if I read ur post right -  I'd ask for a NIC and ethernet modem

[eagl]

USB networking = bad.  Every ISP installation tech I've talked to in the last few years has told me that they despise the USB adaptors with a passion because they're nothing but trouble.

Free up a PCI slot and slap in a $15 10/100 nic.  I've seen generic realtek based NICs for under $10 and they work just fine.  If you want that last bit of performance you can use a $60 intel or other name brand card but the realtek cards seem to work ok for me (win98SE)

Almost forgot - I built a system almost identical to yours (K7S5A mobo, 1.4 athlon, 512 meg crucial.com DDR, GeForce2 PRO, win98SE) and the realtek network card worked fine on the first try.

[Chairboy]

Stay away from Windows Millenium.  I work in a professional software development organization, and all of my friends here with which I have spoken about agree that WinMe is the least stable and worst operating system Microsoft has released.

Keep in mind, we wrote software back in DOS, for Windows 3.X, and more.

[Animal]

Windows ME is nothing but trouble and so is USB networkling.


USB networking is not real. Its more like emulating it.

Get a NIC.

[aztec]

Thx for all the info guys, sure appreciate it!:)  I am totally unfamiliar with NIC, never heard of it before. Can you guys give me any additional info about it? Thx again,

aztec

[Amboss]

NIC=Network Interface Card

These are used for LAN/WAN connections and offer better performance and stability as they use the same low level communication protocols that is predominantly used in the Internet.

Most USB cablemodems should offer a 10mbps RJ45 LAN Connector as well, which is what you would connect your network card to once you have installed it in your PC.

Network cards suitable for use with your cablemodems are most of the 10/100mps RJ45 variety like

- 3com 905TX 10/100 RJ45 series
- D-Link DF530 10/100 RJ45 series
- ... many more from a variety of manufacturers (Realtek, VIA, ...).

Today, some motherboards have  RJ45 10/100 Networking built in their southbridge. Check your PC connections and BIOS on whether such a thing is available on your PC (you can skip checking the bios if you can't find a RJ45 connector).

RJ45 connectors are a wider variety of your average US-type phone plug, with  room for more than 4 wires.

-Amboss

[weazel]

You rip out certain MS bloatware and install updated files/drivers during OS installation.

I'll install 98SE, W2K, or XP on my customers machines if they insist, but I recieve fewer calls for tech help from the ones who choose my Millenium hackware.

Millenium boots quicker than other MS operating systems, system resources are allocated more efficiently and are released immediately when applications close.

System resources usually are 96-99% free at boot, right now mine are at 89%, but I haven't rebooted in 2-3 days.

BSOD's are rare compared to Win98, games run better, and by modifying and replacing a few dial up networking  files with older versions you get rock solid net peformance.

I'll post a Me vs. 98 benchmark shootout when I get some free time, I'm working 14-16 hours a day lately, looks like I might have to hire my 1st employee soon if it dosn't slow down.  

[aztec]

Thx again folks, learning more by the minute. Weazel can you give me the  details of your custom installation of ME?

[Lephturn]

Don't bother "upgrading" from 98 to ME.  If you are going to go through that, go to WinXP or Win2K.  I'd recommend XP simply based on the fact that it's MS's mainstream end-user OS right now, so it will be supported much longer than any of the others you might choose.  Either XP or 2K will be far more robust and stable than 98 or ME could ever be.

That said, I believe the problem you are having is with not having a proper network card to connect to your cable modem.  Fix that, and Win98SE shoudl work fine.  Your best option may be to call your cable provider, and discuss the problem with them.  My local cable provider even swapped me a different model of cable modem to ensure good gaming performance.  You may not get what you are looking for that way, but it's worth a shot.

[aztec]

You were right on the money Leph, as it turns out my motherboard has onboard LAN...hooked her up and my problem is solved. Can't thank you guys enough for your help, !,
aztec

[weazel]

Prior to starting my business I did some research and  found a lucrative niche market by focusing on Millenium.

Me was installed on *millions* of PCs by OEMs, and as shipped is a nightmare for end users without the knowledge to troubleshoot and maintain it.

As Lepthurn pointed out W2K and XP are robust operating systems and are the best Microsloth OS for *current* PC configurations, but the majority of potential customers machines aren't cutting edge.

Older machines often either don't have compatible hardware, CPU horsepower, or hard disk space to support W2K or XP.

"Time is money".....and time saved during OS installation, updating, and configuration increases profits.

My attempts to minimize time per job and maximize OS performance resulted in Millenium becoming leaner, meaner, and  near Win2K stability.

Game performance is amazing in comparison to Win98 SE or standard Me, you have to see it to believe it.

Aztec, I'm working on a turn-key Millenium installer that incorporates my mods but it won't be completed anytime soon.  (too damn busy)  

If your interested in beta testing it I'll let you know when it's ready, the install method I currently use requires updating the Millenium Cabs and custom INF files that integrate install options MS neglected to provide.

Unfortunately the MicroShaft EULA prohibits me from distributing the modified cab files, the (future) installer will do it all on the end users machine with files from their (licensed) copy of Millenium.

[Lephturn]

I wouldn't say Win2k needs "cutting edge" hardware.  Anything over a PII 350 is fine.  I've got production Exchange servers running on early PIII's, and a couple of file/pring servers running on PII 350's no problem.  What Win2K needs more than anything else is RAM.  But an older machine, say a PIII 500 with 256 MB of RAM and I'd go with Win2K every time.  It's just a better OS, head and shoulders above 9x/ME.  On the same hardware, 2K will be far more stable and secure than you can possibly make 9x/ME, the same tools just aren't there in the 9x code stream.  If you spend a bit of time tweaking a 2K install, you can get it just as fast as WinME, if not faster.  It used to be that drivers were optimized for 9x/ME, but these days the fast latest drivers, even for older hardware, are optimized for 2K/XP instead.  Also with 2K or XP, you have a decent file system with NTFS and a decent level of security, neither of which you can get with 98 or ME.  If security is one of the things you want in your OS, you need to use 2K or XP.

Though I do agree, there are times when a simpler install of 9x/ME is cheaper and faster.  But if you have hardware you bought within the last 2 years and are thinking of putting on OS on it yourself, I'd recommend 2K or XP for anybody that is a gamer, a tinkerer, a geek, or just wants security and stability beyond what's possible on older OSs.

[eagl]

I'd argue that win2k doesn't even need that much cpu power if you can figure out how to turn off all the servers it runs.  Did you know that even with IIS off, win2k runs a time, motd, and character generator server (among others)?  Well, it does.  F**K microsoft...

Anyhow, I had win2k running as a firewall/gateway for over a year on an ancient celeron 333 with 128 meg ram.  Boot times dropped 50% when I bumped the memory to 256 meg.  Then I bought a powerleap adaptor and put in a P3-700 and it runs even better now, but the original celeron 333 was definately fast enough for normal non-gaming usage as a utilitarian computer.