From today, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates or provide support for Windows 98 and Windows ME, which could lead users to trying alternative operating systems such as Linux. Eight years after launching Windows 98, Microsoft will finally wash its hands of updating and plugging security gaps in its ageing operating system. The software giant originally planned to pull the plug in January 2004 but decided to extend support because of the increasing threat from Linux.
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Member since:2005-11-10
"'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
This quote reminds me of how Linux is touted as easy, yet the zealots have no grasp of the real people that the 'desktop' implies. You're spot on that most using Windows 98 now, don't care about the security anyway, and if there were updates, likely would never be installed. I go around fixing PCs and Windows 98/ME is still prevelant and the users honestly don't care much about their OS, let alone aware it's out of date. They intend only to buy a new computer (read PCWorld / Dell) later on as a matter of course.
Member since:2005-10-19
The ironic thing is that users on Windows9X with the latest AV are often more safe from Viruses than those users who are only slightly out of date with WindowsXP.
Most viruses that come out try to exploit holes in the latest Windows or IE version, and they normally don't work properly on 9X.
Member since:
2005-07-07
Not to criticize too harshly, but this isn't a very logical conclusion. So, they can no longer get tech support for an OS they've been using for at least 4-5 years now - they're probably used to anything it can throw at them or its something really bad. Combine that with the fact that most Linux distros don't come with formal support (unless you pay for it - at which point they could pay for Windows support) and the support cutoff probably isn't going to spur change.
The lack of security updates is really bad, but most Windows users (on XP even) don't install them regularly, if at all. To be honest, someone using 98 or ME probably isn't that concerned with security even if they should be.
Maybe these users SHOULD be looking at desktop Linux, but they probably won't. Some will even be users that would get confused upgrading to a new version of Windows nevermind Linux which is a larger change - I'm not saying worse, just more different and less familiar which is a big deal to non-savy users. Others just won't care for change.
Linux will gain more from XP and Vista people (who, as a whole will be more tech savy) than 98 and ME people even if they are the ones who need Linux the most.