Date: Fri 23-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-windows-95-98

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: From Windows '95 to '98

By Bob Brand

New PCs now exit the factory with Windows '98 installed. Many of us with older

gear wonder if we should buy a Windows 98 upgrade in order to have the "latest

and greatest" tool. I recently took the plunge. Perhaps my comments will

provide some guidance on your decision.

Most PCs running Windows 95 operate smoothly. While many seem to encounter an

occasional glitch that freezes the computer forcing the frustrated user to hit

the ctrl-alt-del keystroke combo, this remains a rarity. So why should someone

using Windows '95 (or even Windows 3.x) upgrade? Frankly, there is no

compelling reason. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'

The computer industry continues to develop new products. Hooking up the latest

gizmo such as a digital camera or flatbed scanner may require a high-speed

input/output port. Newer computers (1997 and later) come equipped with one or

more USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports. Windows '98 allows for easy connection

between your system and these devices. If you do not plan to make additions to

your computer, it is difficult to justify the $80-$90 expenditure to upgrade

to '98.

If You Take the Plunge

For those who venture into the realm of the Upgrade Adventure, the minimum

hardware requirements include: processor - 486 DX, 66 MHz or higher, 16 MB RAM

and free hard disk space -- 120 to 295 MB. (Microsoft pushes their Microsoft

Network and the connection to the Internet in the manual. This requires a 14.4

kbps modem or faster). It is a good idea to have backup copies of all files in

case something goes wrong.

My "almost plain vanilla" system consists of a 120 MHz Pentium NEC computer

with 80 MB RAM and 2.1 GB hard disk. (Windows '95 can only handle 64 MB RAM.

This is a weak justification for the upgrade).

Windows '98 comes with a small, bound user manual. Gone are the days of the

smallish three ring binders. Following the instructions, the CD-ROM is

inserted followed by a message asking if you want to upgrade. Answer: Yes. In

the Open box, enter E:setup. After answering a few simple questions, the

Microsoft Wizard takes over. After 30-45 minutes, you are in business.

The first thing that '95 users will notice is the new sound. Hearing the new

chime means '98 has installed the proper software to generate a fresh "voice."

The desktop, icons and taskbar have changed only slightly from '95.

Immediately, the user experiences a sigh of relief that everything appears to

be normal.

A Significant Problem

The computer magazines and Internet discussion groups abound with unhappy

campers who attempted the conversion. Frankly, the loudest complaints are

heard from people who have "non-standard" or oddball sound systems, video

cards, modems and the like. The only significant problem (any glitch is

significant when something does not work) was with my printer. Here is what

happened. An error message appeared after '98 started. I wrote down the

message, went to Microsoft's product support page, entered the message but

found no match in the MS database.

The telltale clue was that the NEC 660i printer did not print. From the NEC

user's manual, I determined the NEC could emulate the Hewlett Packard Laserjet

4P. In the control panel, I told the computer that the printer was an HP 4P.

The test pattern printed the graphics but not the text. Next, I reinstalled

the 5 disks that came with the printer. This was another dead-end. Windows '98

did not "see" a printer on the system. Finally, I logged on to the NEC

website, clicked on Nec Support, then Computer Drivers and Upgrades, then

Service & Support, then Drivers, then NEC Printer Files. The printer driver

for my printer was listed for Windows '95 only. However, drivers for

SuperScript 6xx for Windows '98 listed a 7-file set. Each file was downloaded

(about 1.4 MB per file). I copied each one to a 3.5" floppy diskette. (I

peeled the labels from my original NEC diskettes and put them on the blanks

before transfer).

Diskette 1 contained the file: Netsetup.exe. In the Control Panel, Printers

the file Netsetup.exe was entered. The software prompted for all 7 diskettes.

Simple.

Other Glitches

All passwords in the dialer configurations for ISP connections had to be

re-entered. PGP 6.0 beta software did not run properly under '98. I

uninstalled and reverted to PGP 5.0. It worked flawlessly.

Is it worth the bother?

There appears to be little difference from a performance standpoint going from

'95 to '98. Windows '98 claims to be "more stable" than '95 which means that I

should not get as many freeze-ups. We will see. While upgrading to '98 may not

be much of a problem for people who own brand name, "stock" computers, keep in

mind: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you take the plunge, be prepared

for surprises.

A Sad Note

Jon Postel, an Internet founding father, died at the age of 55 recently. This

extraordinary engineer will be missed.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www1.zdnet.com/familypc/content/9805/win98/internet.html

http://www.cmpnet.com/win98/upgrade.html

http://www.nec.com/

http://www.microsoft.com/

(This is the 125th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, Net Depression is the subject on tap. Stay tuned. Until next

week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of Internet Info for

Real People (including links to sites mentioned in this article) can be found:

http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions to:

rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)