Windows Seven

Yup, i agree. I bought my first vista pc last october and vista had already been out for a year i believe, so i did not buy it right away because i couldn't. However i used vista before on my XP based laptop and it ran ok but no where near as great as my desktop runs it. And your right you never know what Microsoft can change by 2010. Might not be anything like Vista by then...never know for sure until its commerically available.

Hey, I'll tell you what- if Microsoft can't do any better with $300 million to advertise than the trash that's coming out now, they won't get an new users!

All things considered XP still seems like the better OS, at least to me.
I'm thinking that even after M$ stops supporting it, security "patches" will probably be available in improved browsers and security software. At least I hope so.

As long as M$ simply doesn't shut it off, I'm gonna stand pat, as they say in Blackjack.

Meh, Windows 7, more hardware intensive than even Vista, and still more DRM.

I'd answer the poll but IMHO, there aren't enough choices.

I think even Newegg is out of stock on Windows 2000.

Edit; people are apparently still selling it, but they still think a lot of it.

Yeah Windows 2000 isn't a bad one but for me the best OS Microsoft had released is Windows 98 SE the best one, the less buggy and the more rapid one. And the proof New OS are still having its theme in it. But the only problem now is that Microsoft stop supporting it.

Actually just a spin off question about older OS's

If I install Windows 98SE on an old computer, without a COA sticker, am I breaking MS EULA ? (I'm thinking no, because it's now over 10years old) But I can't find the answer to this question anywhere, and I don't believe MS support will understand me, if I asked them! (except by getting a hundred questions thrown back to me)

I mean I couldn't buy a key if I wanted too (haven't actually looked, but this is not relevant to my question)
Basically MS activation didn't exist in the old Win98 days.

Yeah for the activation I agree with you but talking about performance and bugs Win98 SE is one of the best one Microsoft released.

I agree in Windows98se is a great OS. I think that NT, 2000, etc were not really that impressive. I say 98SE, XP, and Vista (thought not at first) are the best Microsoft have come out with in my opinion. Hopefully Windows 7 will follow suit.

M$ doesn't impress me as a company that lets much of anything slide, but hey, they might surprise us. As you well know, activation began with XP because of piracy with the older systems. If I had to guess, I'm thinking that M$ is NOT going to NOT require activation of XP after suport ends. (ed note; double negative on purpose). Who the hell knows, they might try to take the OSes back.

I would think calling and announcing your intention to install an unregistered OS, would unnecessarily telegraph your intentions. This perhaps because I do not like to talk to a******* via long distance either.

It's fine for us to wax nostalgic for the older OSes, but realistically, I would think that their use would be only suitable for a free standing computer, not connected to the internet. This obviously due to security issues, and questions as to whether any effective modern security software could be made to run natively in anything much before XP.

I think Windows 7 will be better in terms of user-friendliness and compatibility but unfortunately, I think it will be another "heavy Vista-like" operating system that will require a lot of power to run. I'm glad it's coming out soonish though because now I have another good reason to stick with XP and not make the move to Vista.

I found a thread here at Microsoft, stating how to bypass Windows 98 key.
One post even stated try this key, and provided the key itself.
Obviously MS are not concerned about such posts (re:98) Therefore my question has indirectly been answered. MS do not care, and support has ended long ago.

I never thought I'd hear myself say this but, "God bless Microsoft". Can I get an "amen"?

amen

Not bad at all... This will help some people go back to Win98SE but don't find it really useful to go back.