Which Windows should I open?
Apr 04 '01
The Bottom Line This review shows some of the major differences in the more common Windows operating systems and suggestions on who may benefit from each.
This review is basically aimed to help guide users to the right Windows operating system for their needs. There are currently three main versions of Windows available to choose from; Windows 98SE, Windows ME and Windows 2000. Windows 2000 itself has several different versions but I will only cover the professional version since many of the other versions are designed for specific server types.
Home and family use
The best choices for home use would be either Windows 98SE or Windows ME. Windows 95 is still available in some places but unless your computer is very old I would recommend using 98SE or ME to get the best out of your computer.
Windows 98SE
If you currently have a computer running Windows 98 or Windows 95 I would reccomend upgrading to Windows 98SE or Windows ME. Windows 95 version A did not even support USB which is now used for many external peripherals. If you are currently running Windows 98SE there really is no need to upgrade to Windows ME. Almost all software titles and hardware out right now is designed to work with Windows 98SE and upgrading is not necessary at this time. Windows ME has marginal enhancements in stability and a few new features but isn't necessary to be "up to date". Windows 98SE is probably the most compatible operating system out right now for the most software and hardware on the market today.
Windows 98SE also incorporates Internet sharing into the operating system. Previous versions of Windows did not have this feature with the exception of the Windows NT operating systems. This feature allows you to share Internet access with other computers on a local area network in your home or office. Windows 98SE also has greater stability than Windows 95 or 98, marginally of course but every little improvement in stability is a big help.
Windows ME
Most new computers are being sold with Windows ME on them now. If you have a new computer with this operating system on it there are a few things you should know before buying any software or hardware. Windows ME works similar to Windows 98SE and looks exactly the same as far as the user interface is concerned. It has a few advantages with minor advances in stability, meaning you will get fewer "Blue screen of death" errors and less crashes. However, before you add new hardware or software you should check for compatability issues. There are many software titles and hardware drivers that must be patched or updated to be able to work on Windows ME.
If you have a large collection of DOS based programs or need to use a strictly DOS environment you may want to use Windows 98SE instead of Windows ME. Windows ME has no access to a real DOS environment. Although you can access a DOS prompt through the Windows inteface you can't run most DOS programs through this prompt, especially if the program requires a large amount of free conventional memory. Windows ME does work on a DOS platform but does not do it the same way that Windows 95 and 98 did. There are ways to get a real DOS mode in Windows ME but it is a complicated task that requires good knowledge of system files and the Windows registry to accomplish this.
Office/Business use
When stability is the only option, Windows 2000 professional is the best choice. Windows 2000 is the most stable Windows operating system available and is capable of running 3D applications as well. Windows 2000 would be a good choice for home use if it were not for incompatibility issues with many software and hardware titles available today. Windows 2000 is also the best operating system to use as a home server for Internet sharing, web hosting, and many other network operations. Windows 2000 is designed on the Windows NT kernel with added support for USB, AGP 3D graphics (DirectX) and many other common multimedia operations.
If you are currently running Windows NT and would like to upgrade, you should have no problems provided you know a little about network operating systems. I would recommend Windows 2000 for users familiar with Windows NT and for business environments where stability is the main issue. I would not recommend Windows 2000 for new users or people who want maximum compatibility. Even with it's inclusion of USB support and 3D graphics support, Windows 2000 still is not compatible with all USB devices and 3D graphics cards. Make sure yours are compatible if you decide to use this operating system.
There are currently several other versions of Windows 2000 designed for explicit server functions. These operating systems should only be used for the server types they are designed for and are not recommended for common home use or even office/business use. Among these are Windows 2000 SQL server, Windows 2000 Advanced server and other titles with the word server in them. Windows 2000 professional is really an upgraded version of Windows NT 4.0 workstation and is best suited for individual users out of all the Windows 2000 operating systems.
Conclusion
This review was written mainly to help new users and users unfamiliar with the differences in Windows operating systems to find the operating system that would best suit their needs. I did not go extensively into the different Windows 2000 operating systems because I am not familiar with all of them but since Windows 2000 is commonly mistaken as Windows ME and vice versa, I thought it necessary to explain a few of the more important differences. I hope this helps you decide which Windows you should open, and remember most places will not let you return opened software any more so decide well. Thanks for reading.
Gr8ful :-)
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