Looks like Windows 98 and ME users could be doomed

I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?

NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*

"Minotaur" wrote in message
u...

Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.



That's true, and the user base of Windows 9x is dwindling. I just
thought I'd post to the group that for the first time there are no new
Catalysts for them. I'm running Windows 98 on my second computer here,
but it's simply an Internet box and maybe sees the occasional older game
here and there. For me, updated drivers for 9x are not an issue.


About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because
they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM
did
have it's supporters aswell...



I agree the focus should be on Windows 2000 and NT from here on from a
driver standpoint, I was simply shocked to see no new drivers for
Windows 9x, especially since Windows ME is about the same age as 2000.


It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.



LOL


Minotaur (8*


Are you the same Minotaur that I remember from the Firestorm forums (in
Calgary)?

"Minotaur" wrote in message
u...
NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

Because some of us dual boot for gaming compatibility. There are some recent
games (within the last 5 years) that don't run as well on XP. And yes, I
still play them.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

Go buy a ladder and get over yourself.

Nick

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*

-
Nick Zvaleko stood up at show-n-tell, in
, and said:

"Minotaur" wrote in message
u...
NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released
the Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for
Windows 2000 and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you
are directed to download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will
all translate to when the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia?
What is their Windows 98/ME driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

Because some of us dual boot for gaming compatibility. There are some
recent games (within the last 5 years) that don't run as well on XP.
And yes, I still play them.

I did that, years ago. Triple booted, in fact. XP should be all you need,
period. If not... don't bitch to the majority.



About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on
making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because
they don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are
completely different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is
DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM
did have it's supporters aswell...

Go buy a ladder and get over yourself.

Stop living in the past?


Nick


--
Strontium

"It's no surprise, to me. I am my own worst enemy. `Cause every
now, and then, I kick the livin' **** `outta me." - Lit

Nick Zvaleko stood up at show-n-tell, in
, and said:

"Minotaur" wrote in message
u...
NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released
the Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for
Windows 2000 and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you
are directed to download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will
all translate to when the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia?
What is their Windows 98/ME driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

Because some of us dual boot for gaming compatibility. There are some
recent games (within the last 5 years) that don't run as well on XP.
And yes, I still play them.

I did that, years ago. Triple booted, in fact. XP should be all you
need,
period. If not... don't bitch to the majority.


XP is not the ultimate gaming platform that so many people claim it is. '98
still is a great gaming OS. It runs everything that's out there and runs
them in some cases faster then XP. There is a lot of gamers that enjoy
playing a wide variety of games and some of them are over 5 years old. I
might only have one or two games in my collection that don't run well in XP,
but I still like the option of duel-boot so I can easily load and play them.
The concern I have is not with the current cards, it's with the new ones
coming out. If they don't have support for '98 then me and a lot of others
will not be able to upgrade without loosing the flexibility a dual-boot
system give us. I've gathered from reading this group that there's still is
a lot of gamers that are using '98 either as their main OS (if it's not
broke why fix it) or as a dual -boot setup. '98 might be old,but it still
kicks butt when it comes to playing games. JLC

"Nick Zvaleko" wrote in message
et...

"Minotaur" wrote in message
u...
NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to
when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

Because some of us dual boot for gaming compatibility. There are some
recent
games (within the last 5 years) that don't run as well on XP. And yes, I
still play them.


Some? More like most don't seem to run as well here. usually drop one notch
in res and also have to lower the eye candy.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

Go buy a ladder and get over yourself.

Nick

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 11:45:12 +1000, Minotaur
wrote:

NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*


I have WinXP Pro, but I can't stand the way it's setup to
always try, and fix things when it thinks they are broken. I still use
WinME. It's stable for what I do, which is not much more than gaming.
I find it alot easier to config. the way I want it than XP. I'd rather
use Win2k over XP.
Hell..... I still like the way DOS worked.

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 13:11:36 -0500, Larry Roberts
wrote:

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 11:45:12 +1000, Minotaur
wrote:

NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*


I have WinXP Pro, but I can't stand the way it's setup to
always try, and fix things when it thinks they are broken. I still use
WinME. It's stable for what I do, which is not much more than gaming.
I find it alot easier to config. the way I want it than XP. I'd rather
use Win2k over XP.
Hell..... I still like the way DOS worked.


The inference I gather from what Ati say in the release notes for
Catalyst 4.4 is that the reason they're no longer producing drivers
for W98/ME is that M$ stopped accepting certification submissions for
ME as of 1st January, so they can no loger obtain WHQL certification
for ME drivers.

So what - the drivers will work just as well whether certificated or
not - and it so happens that Ati have produced three new drivers for
W98/ME _since_ 1st January...



patrickp

- take five to email me

Microsoft has a pretty much public 5 year shelf life on OS support. Win98/SE
are end of life products.

"Larry Roberts" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 11:45:12 +1000, Minotaur
wrote:

NightSky 421 wrote:
I don't take any pleasure in this, but I saw that ATI has released the
Catalyst 4.4 drivers and that they have been released for Windows 2000
and XP only! If you are a Windows 98 or ME user, you are directed to
download the 4.3 drivers. I wonder what this will all translate to
when
the R420 gets released? What of Nvidia? What is their Windows 98/ME
driver policy?



Who cares? If they havn't the money to upgrade to a newer operating
system, I doubt they have the money to upgrade there hardware and
purchase new games aswell.

About time 9X was dropped, now more attention can be focused on making
XP drivers work! I think people are complaining about this, because they
don't see any difference between 9X and W2k or XP. They are completely
different operating system, W2K/XP are NT derived, 9X is DOS derived.
Now I hope some can see why it makes sence to upgrade, but then CPM did
have it's supporters aswell...

It's not that bad, at least it isn't a scenario like being in an Apple
World, where you have to purchase new hardware just to run OS-X.

Minotaur (8*


I have WinXP Pro, but I can't stand the way it's setup to
always try, and fix things when it thinks they are broken. I still use
WinME. It's stable for what I do, which is not much more than gaming.
I find it alot easier to config. the way I want it than XP. I'd rather
use Win2k over XP.
Hell..... I still like the way DOS worked.