Posted: 12-Feb-2001
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3 out of 5 Mice |
Vendor: Microsoft | Type: COMMERCIAL |
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Reviewer: Bill Catambay | Class: WINDOWS |
The actual process of upgrading Windows '98 to Windows ME was relatively painless. I inserted the Windows ME CD, ran the installer, and in about 40 minutes, it was done.
Once I was up and running on Windows ME, it was difficult to tell the difference. That could be viewed as both good and bad. It's good in terms of having everything work that used to work, and it's bad in terms of wondering why you paid for the upgrade.
Some of the features advertised for the upgrade are software applications, such as Windows Media Player 7 and Internet Explorer 5.5, which you can already get for your Windows '98 machine. There is supposed to be an improved help system, but I didn't find it all that helpful. Most of my help needs I handled using Microsoft's excellent web support site (which you can use on Windows '98 as well). One feature that is a step up from Windows '98 is the ability to restore to a saved state (called a System Restore). When I installed Windows ME, I chose to save the current Windows '98 state. I had experienced several problems after I was up and running on Windows ME, and actually considered going back to Windows 98, but because it was not that obvious to me how to do so, I pursued trouble-shooting using Microsoft's web support. That may be a good thing to keep everyone from reverting at the first sign of trouble. In the end, I chose to stay on Windows ME and never did use the System Restore.
Also advertised for Windows ME is improved home networking. I didn't notice a big difference. I generally don't use the setup Wizard, and find it relatively easy to setup on Windows '98 as well as on Windows ME. On the other hand, I did notice that there were a lot more entries in the Network Control Panel for difference services. There is still remove for improvement here in terms of simplifying that control panel.
Some software requires an update to to work with Windows ME. For example, Reflection emulation software no longer supported the scroll wheel, but getting the latest update supposedly fixes that. Most of the software, however, ran just fine under Windows ME.
In terms of system performance, after weeks of use I have not noticed a difference. It's been relatively stable, and in these few weeks I have had fewer system crashes than in Windows '98.
One of the problems I experienced after upgrading to Windows ME was not actually related to the upgrade at all. I apparently received an e-mail containing a virus which caused a notepad document to open every time the computer rebooted. Again, using the Microsoft web site, I was able to get help on resolving this issue. The reason it's worth mentioning for this review is that the process of resolving the problem was not simple. It entailed editing startup registry information, and reinstalling the Notepad software, and included several reboots before the process was completed. This is where I would liked to have see an improvement from Windows 98 to Windows ME, but the improvement was not there. System maintenance is still in great need of simplification.
One other problem that is still not resolved is that Windows ME seems to have integrated Internet Explorer just a bit too tightly. You can still specify that your default browser be Netscape, but Outlook Express, Microsoft's free e-mail client, ignores that. After days of discussing with Microsoft's web support gurus, it was determined that Outlook Express cannot be set to use any other browser except Internet Explorer. This left me with the choice of either switching from Outlook Express to Eudora, or reverting back to Windows 98. As a matter of principle, I will not let any company dictate to me which browser I must use; hence, switching to Internet Explorer as my default was not an option. I chose to switch to Eudora for my e-mail needs.
In the end, I'd have to say my favorite enhancement in Windows ME is the hierarchical menus which are now supported under the Start Menu; specifically, for the Control Panels. I have always wished that I could go into a specific control panel without having to open the folder and double click on one of the icons. In Windows ME, you can now do that. As trivial as it may sound, it's a big time saver when you frequent the control panels, and it indicates a positive direction in terms of bringing ease-of-use to the Windows platform.
In summary, the Windows ME upgrade seems to be slightly more stable than its predecessors, but not dramatically. It would be hard to justify the cost of the upgrade for your average user. If you are currently experiencing stability problems, this upgrade may be worth the bucks. Likewise, if you like to stay with the latest operating system, and don't mind the upgrade costs, then I recommend the upgrade. It's simple, and most of your software will run fine on Windows ME, if not more stable. However, if you like using Outlook Express for e-mail but prefer Netscape as your browser, then you want to avoid this upgrade.
Windows ME Upgrade rating: 3 out of 5 mice.