[extropy-chat] when will computers improve?

[Kevin Freels]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lubkin" <extropy at unreasonable.com>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 10:02 PM
Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] when will computers improve?
> >1.) Will it run all software designed for Win98?
>
> No!  It's mostly games and educational software that won't work.  I keep a
> clunker around for that, or use VMware, which is excellent for running
> multiple operating systems simultaneously.  I used to use System Commander
> to switch between multiple OS's at boot time, but it's a messier solution.

OK. I don't play games or use educational software. I am guessing that you
are referring to the older DOS based stuff and really simple program
leftovers from Win3.x. I remember some games that ran "outside" the Windows
environment. Or am I way off base here. Maybe I shoudl be asking if the
"normal" stuff works on Win2k like PaintShop Pro 6, Norton Anti-virus,
Acrobat Reader, Office 2000, ZoneAlarm, etc. I don;t want to upgrade and
find that I need to buy a bunch of new software.

Also, you mentioned that I wouldn't need the disk for the upgrade. What I
was envisioning was a scenario where my whole system is lost and I have to
reformat the hard drive and re-load Windows. If I buy the upgrade, I would
have to load Win 98, then the Win2k upgrade. Given the age of my Win98
disk(4 years old) and it's condition from being put in and out so many times
when installing drivers and crap, I am probably better off buying the full
version.

The fact that I don;t have to call in to register it really sums it up for
me. I've had a friend who went through 4 hard drives ni 2 months (came to
find out he had the computer sitting right on top of a heating vent!) By the
fourth install, Microsoft started giving him a hard time because each time,
he took the opportunity to change a different part in the computer and the
computer "looked" like a different computer to them.

I appreciate the tips. I guess I know what to ask for for Newtonmas!