The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group The End Is Nigh? Part 2 Dennis Parsons

For those who are still running Windows 98, 98SE and Me, the time really has come to make a decision on what to do with your system when Microsoft stops providing security updates on 11 July http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx.

As mentioned in my previous article PC Update, April 2006, or http://www.melbpc.org.au/pcupdate/2604/2604article5.htm, you have several options.

Summarising those options:

1. Upgrade to a current operating system such as Windows XP or Linux. Your current hardware may well be suitable or perhaps can be made suitable with relatively inexpensive upgrades such as additional RAM, a faster processor or a larger hard disk drive.
   
   
2. Buy a whole new system with a current operating system already installed or install your own.
   
   
3. Continue using Windows 98 and take sensible precautions such as using a firewall, using anti-virus and anti-spyware software and keeping them updated. Stop using Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

Note: the cheapest way to obtain Windows XP is to buy the Windows XP Pro Academic upgrade version —available for under $100 from a number of retailers. XP Pro is recommended as it will have a longer support life than XP Home. If you're buying a new system, buy a "naked" system (no operating system) and install XP Pro Academic yourself if you can.

Microsoft will not be providing any more updates for Windows 98, 98SE or Me — this includes Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. The Internet is the primary entry point for malicious software to make its way onto your system, so using a browser and e-mail client that will have no further security updates poses a significant risk. Can you afford to continue using them and potentially leave yourself wide open to every new type of attack?

Recent security issues with both Internet Explorer and Firefox highlight the potential problem — browsers can and do have security problems that require fixing. If they are not fixed, you're at risk — and Internet Explorer will no longer be fixed.

Should I Wait for Vista?

The next version of Windows (named Vista) is currently undergoing extensive beta testing and is due out early next year. It may be worth waiting for Vista, particularly if you require a whole new system.

Advantage: You would have a brand new operating system with a long life ahead of it.

Disadvantages:

• You will still be using Windows 98 in the interim
  
• Vista is new and may have teething problems
  
• help will be hard to come by initially
  
• it will be an even bigger change from Windows 98
  
• pricing is unknown but it will almost certainly cost considerably more than the XP Pro Academic upgrade.

If you decide to continue using Windows 98, it would be wise to review my previous article. If you do, you should also avoid using your computer for Internet banking.

Reprinted from the July 2006 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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