BEN
Member
Registered: Feb 2000
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Posts: 638 |
Umm. Ok, let me get this straight. Everyone here thinks that the NT kernel has no data security? According to netcraft, dell.com, microsoft.com (of course) and ford.com all run windows 2000 advance server. Now this maybe the server version of windows, but it is still NT based. When was the last time that you heard about a hack on one of these sites from the outside (Microsoft was hacked, but only by some very very smart nerds, something that most people here have no worries about). If you know how to use the NTFS, then you are going to have NO PROBLEMS with security. Just give access to each account that you want, and as said before, NEVER log in as root/administrator unless you are both the only user and you know what you are doing.
Next, Windows 98SE. I don't care what anybody thinks about 98SE vs 2000 vs XP, as 98SE is going to lose out to all of them in the end. Any game worth it's money is written for 2000/XP now (take note that most game reviewing sites use 2000/XP to review games and there's a good reason that I will get to later) and will take advantage of it's engine better in these OSes. Windows 98Se, like all others before it (besides Windows NT 3.5x) is based off of DOS. For all of you who don't know, DOS was written in the first place to use 640k of memory. Now one of the systems speced there had 512 MB's of memory, which is in all uses of teh word, USELESS. DOS has to use a special program just to take advantage of memory over 640k, so your 512 MB's are going to mean jack. NT on the other hand can nativly use (get ready for this kids) 8 GB's of memory, and can activly take advantage of all of it, no matter what program is running. So your 512 that you are going to purchase with your computer is actually going to mean something.
When getting to hardware support, this used to be an issue when 2000 firts came out. Now (especially with SP3 on the way) 2000/XP can take advantage of any piece of useful hardware (thus your scanner that can do 256 color from 1989 is no longer supported, but WHO CARES?) made. Drivers are also no longer an issue because new proper ones are readily avaible for current hardware.
And to a suite of support programs like scandisk, regedit and the likes? Windows 2000/XP provides all of them and many many more. I bet most people have never used the tools under "Administrative Tools" to repair any problems on your comptuer, but trust me, they are much more useful than the DOS based equivalents.
So what have we got here? Basically a decision to rule out Windows 98SE as an option for new comptuers. Now the decision between XP and 2000 is more of a personal issue. I have used both operating systems throughly now, and I must say that I perfer 2000 for the sole reason that it is closer to NT 4.0 than to 98. XP is a "dumbed down" version of NT which is perfectly fine for any user. You can do all the same things as with 2000, but you need to go through more "are you sure you want to do that?" messages. There are a few random drivers for hardware that has not been released yet, but in these cases you can use the 2000 drivers and they will work great (iPaq wireless router for example). Besides that, you have a good computer on the way, just make sure to follow alot of this advice so that you don't get burned with crashes.
BEN
Just some random things, I would go with XP pro over Home any day, and that case that Alien ware uses is made and sold my Antec with an Enermax powersupply in black, white, and beige for about 80 bucks. If you truly want a green comptuer (yuck!), you can get a can of spray paint.
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03-17-2002 10:30 PM
Depending on what Dr. Bohn decides to put into his machine, 98se may be the best choice. IOW, there's a reason NT kernel machines can handle insane amounts of memory - they need it. And, despite your claims to the contrary, 98 handles more than 640K just fine - and that's without an autoexec.bat or config.sys file! That separate program to handle memory you mentioned: it's built into windows. I don't have to boot to dos and start a memory management program before I can run Windows.
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