Windows 98: What's in it for you?

Home Office Computing, July, 1998 by Darren Gladstone, Philip Albinus

In the summer of 1995, the world witnessed the unveiling of Windows 95, Microsoft's long-awaited successor to the then top-selling Windows 3.1 operating system. With its release came a slew of questions from wary would-be upgraders: Is it stable? Will it help me get my work done faster? Will it work on my PC? Will it work, period?

Now, just as you've grown comfortable with Win 95 and its advantages, such as the ability to fax directly from your PC and create long file names, you face unknown territory yet again, with Microsoft's release of Windows 98.

If you're like most home workers, you dislike change that disrupts your work life. But don't despair. Home Office Computing installed a preliminary version of the operating system on a 300MHz Pentium II, the IBM Aptiva E-76, and we're ready to answer your pressing questions: Will Win 98 noticeably improve the way I work? How will it help me get around the Web? Do I really need to change operating systems? Here's the skinny.

What's the biggest difference between Win 95 and Win 98?

The engineers at Microsoft have heard the siren call of the World Wide Web and created an operating system that binds the Internet to your computer. This enhancement is at the heart of Win 98. By merging the Windows Explorer fileman agent en t program and Internet Explorer 4.0, Microsoft now lets you simultaneously browse files on your computer and tool the Web. Best of all, You can exchange data between the two.

HELPFUL HINT: When you use Explorer, distinguish between what's on your desktop and what resides on the Internet.

Will Win 98 make it easier for me to navigate the Web?

Internet Explorer 4.0's new Active Desktop delivers news, Web pages, and graphics to your desktop via its Active Channels--a vertical row of subject icons on your desktop. Like a programmable television remote control that lets you select your favorite channels, the Active Channels feature organizers Web information you want to receive into categories, including News & Technology, Sports, Business, and, of course, MSNBC. When breaking news comes in, the information is saved to your PC's hard disk; when you click on the channel, your Web browser automatically launches the site where the news was received. If your work depends on knowing the latest headlines or stock prices, Active Desktop will be a valuable tool. But there's a potential downside.

HELPFUL HINT: Leaving Active Desktop running in the background could potentially cripple older, slower PCs. Because of the volume of information pushed to your desktop, you need a PC with at least a 133MHz Pentium processor, 32MB of RAM, and a 33.6Kbps modem. Anything less will slow Win 98 to a crawl.

How will Win 98 manage my, home office e-mail?

The new release ships with Outlook Express, a pared-down version of Outlook 97 (which ships with Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition). Although the contact manager and scheduler are removed, you can still send and receive e-mail and newsgroup postings with Outlook Express. This free plug-in for Internet Explorer 4.0 works hand in hand with your e-mail by integrating it into the browser. For example, if a client e-mails you a Web page, you can view the entire site within the message.

HELPFUL HINT: Many contact managers now offer built-in e-mail support, so you may prefer to work with your own contact manager instead of Outlook Express. If you use Microsoft Office 97 and already have Outlook 97 (or the newer Outlook 98), you can just click on your mail button to launch Outlook.

What If the kinks aren't smoothed out In Windows 98 by the time I decide to upgrade?

Microsoft has created a Win 98 Update Web site (that you quickly access from the Win 98 Settings button), allowing you to download new fixes and upgrades as they become available. To get there, click on the new Update icon in the Settings menu, which comes up when you click the Start button. This launches Internet Explorer directly to the site.

HELPFUL HINT: Make a date to look for updates and have your PC do it for you. This way, your PC can conduct its own self-improvement, while you get on with your work.

Will Win 98 help my home office system run smoother and faster?

You bet. Microsoft's new customizable maintenance wizard, for instance, allows you to schedule periodic launches of Dr. Watson, a system utility that ships with Windows 98. If a program crashes, Dr. Watson explains where and why the meltdown occurred. You can also select diagnostic programs that you want automatically activated on start-up.

What's more, Win 98 includes FAT32 (in geekspeak, this stands for 32-bit File Allocation Tables), a more efficient formatting and file-storage scheme that reduces wasted space on your hard disk. If you plan to upgrade to Win 98, however, take note: FAT32 doesn't work with all Win 95 programs. To see if your important programs are FAT32 compliant, check either the software publisher's Web site or consult the Microsoft Web site for details. As for speed, we found that Win 98 did start up and shut down our system a hair faster than Win 95.