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What’s New in Microsoft
Windows 98
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How Windows 98
Works Better, Plays Better
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table outlines the new functionality built into Microsoft®
Windows®
98 and compares it against Microsoft Windows 95. In general, you will find
that Windows 98 works better and plays better,
bringing you enhancements that will: |
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Windows95
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Windows98
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| Best
Internet Experience |
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| Complete
Internet Integration* |
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| Integrated
Internet Shell: a seamless user interface, which provides fast Internet
access and acts as one utility to view local, network, intranet, and Internet
data. |
No
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Yes
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| Windows
Update Web Site: a Web-based resource site which keeps users’ systems tuned
and up-to-date by providing access to the latest drivers and file systems. |
No
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Yes
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| Virtual
Private Networking: networking support for remote users which enables them
to access their corporate network via a secure connection. Utilizes a Point-to-Point
Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) system. |
No
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Yes
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| Internet
Connection Wizard: simplifies your first time connection to national Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) for quick, easy Internet access. |
No
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Yes
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| Online
Service Folder: links to major Internet Service Providers, with an automatic
ISP registration feature. |
No
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Yes
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| Web
link to dynamic online help. |
No
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Yes
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| Troubleshooting
Wizards: fifteen wizards provide scenario-based walkthroughs to help you
quickly diagnose and solve technical problems. |
No
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Yes
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| Internet
Browsing Functionality* |
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| Personalized
Internet Information Delivery: automatically selects and schedules downloads
of the information you care about. |
No
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Yes
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| Web
search, AutoComplete, favorites, forward/back button. |
Good
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Better
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| Support
for all major Internet standards: HTML, Java®,
ActiveX®, JavaScript, Visual Basic®
Scripting Edition (VBscript), and major security standards. |
No
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Yes
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| Dynamic
HTML, just-in-time Java compiler, basic code "tuning". |
No
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Yes
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| Tools
for Internet Communication* |
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| Microsoft
Outlook™ Express: a full-featured e-mail and news reading client. |
No
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Yes
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| Microsoft
NetMeeting™: an Internet conferencing solution with audio, data, and video
conferencing functionality. |
No
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Yes
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| Personal
Web Server: with Web Publishing Wizard, you can easily publish Web pages
on intranets or the Internet. |
No
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Yes
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| Microsoft
FrontPage Express: this What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) HTML editor
based on Microsoft FrontPage® 97 allows even novice users to create
Web pages easily. |
No
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Yes
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| Microsoft
NetShowä : a platform for streaming multimedia over networks. Watch
and listen to live or pre-recorded broadcasts without waiting for downloads
or slowing network performance. |
No
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Yes
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| Higher
Quality Computing |
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| Faster
and More Capacity |
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| Easy
upgrade from Windows 95. |
N/A
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Yes
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| System
shutdown time. |
Slower
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Faster
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| FAT32:
support for hard drives bigger than 2 gigabytes (GB) without the need for
multiple partitions. |
No
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Yes
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| FAT32
Conversion Utility: safely converts your PC from FAT16 to FAT32. |
No
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Yes
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| Multiple
Display Support |
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| Runs
multiple monitors on a single PC. |
No
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Yes
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| Runs
multiple graphics adapters on a single PC. |
No
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Yes
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?
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Yes
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| Windows
Maintenance Wizard |
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| Disk
Defragmenter: faster running speed of your most frequently used applications. |
No
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Yes
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| ScanDisk:
runs automatically after improper shutdown or when your hard disk suffers
a hard error. |
No
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Yes
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| Disk
Cleanup: automated cleaning of unwanted hard drive files to increase free
space. |
No
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Yes
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| More
Reliable |
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| Thousands
of improvements over Windows 95. |
N/A
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Yes
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| Microsoft
System Information Utility: collects information on existing hardware and
software. Invaluable in solving system problems. |
No
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Yes
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| System
File Checker Utility: a new utility designed to verify system file modification
or corruption and restore original versions when necessary . |
No
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Yes
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| Registry
Checker: this proactive support program finds and resolves Registry problems. |
No
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Yes
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| Automatic
Skip Driver Agent (ASD): identifies potentially dangerous failures and
marks them so they are bypassed on subsequent start ups. |
No
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Yes
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| Dr.
Watson Utility: intercepts and indicates what software faulted and why;
records system information to assist product support personnel in determining
the cause of the fault. |
Yes
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Enhanced
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| System
Configuration Utility: an enhanced configuration troubleshooting tool. |
No
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Yes
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| Version
Conflict Manager: detects and corrects file version conflicts, ensuring
optimal system compatibility. |
No
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Yes
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| Backup
Utility: supports Small Computer Standard Interface (SCSI) tape devices
for easier and faster data backup. |
No
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Yes
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| Increased
Productivity |
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| Accessibility
Configuration Wizard: helps adapt Windows options to individual preferences;
low-end screen magnifier helps visually impaired users. |
No
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Yes
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| Display
Setting Enhancements: includes full window drag, font smoothing, wallpaper
stretching, large icons, hi-color icons. |
No
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Yes
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| Start
Menu Organizer Wizard: simplifies configuring the Start Menu. |
No
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Yes
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| Built-in
Support for Microsoft IntellimouseÒ : gives you easier screen navigation. |
No
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Yes
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| Windows
Scripting Host: allows administrators and/or other users to save time by
automating many user interface actions. |
No
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Yes
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| Remote
Access Server: allows your desktop to act as dial-up server. |
No
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Yes
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| More
Entertaining |
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| DirectX®
5.0: gives you the best and fastest 3D graphics. |
No
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Yes
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| WebTV
for Windows |
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| Allows
you to receive and display TV and other data (with TV tuner adapter card
installed). |
No
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Yes
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| Windows
98 Program Guide: a continuously updated listing of television shows on
now and in the future. From this guide you can also instantly tune in shows
for viewing on your PC. |
No
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Yes
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| Interactive
Television: when this content becomes available, it will deliver standard
TV combined with related information. |
No
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Yes
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| Allows
you to free up existing phone lines by receiving Internet content and other
data via the broadcast networks. |
No
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Yes
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| DirectShow™ |
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| High
quality video playback with an extensible set of interfaces to build multimedia
applications and tools. Supports Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) audio,
.WAV audio, MPEG video, AVI video, and Apple QuickTime video. |
No
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Yes
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| Unlock
the Power of Your PC and Accessories |
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| Supports
New Generation of Hardware |
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| Support
for thousands of new hardware devices including printers, monitors, tape
backup units, modems, keyboards, joysticks, mice, gamepads, CD changers,
Digital Video Disc (DVD), still image capture and video capture. |
Limited
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Yes
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| Universal
Serial Bus (USB): hot Plug and Play peripheral devices; no power required;
can hub or daisy-chain up to 127 devices at speeds up to 10x faster than
serial ports. |
Limited
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Yes
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| IEEE
1394: allows you to control consumer electronic devices such as VCRs and
stereos from your PC. |
No
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Yes
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| DirectX
5.0 3D Acceleration: gives you faster, smoother performance of games, graphics,
multimedia applications. |
No
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Yes
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| DVD:
gives you better video and audio quality; holds 5-17GB of data. |
No
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Yes
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| Accelerated
Graphics Port (AGP): a dedicated graphics card slot more than 2x faster
than a normal Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) card. |
No
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Yes
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| MMX
Technology: designed to better handle sound, video, and graphics. |
No
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Yes
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| Enhanced
Power Management |
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| OnNow
Support: enables your PC to always be ready for immediate use. |
No
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Yes
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| Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI): supports Plug and Play and allows
you to turn on or off your PC like a TV. |
Limited
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Yes
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| Advanced
Power Management (APM) 1.2 Extensions: includes disk spindown, modem power
down, and resume on ring. |
Limited
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Yes
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| PCMCIA
Support |
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| PC
Card 32 (Cardbus) Support: enables notebooks to perform high-bandwidth
applications. |
No
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Yes
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| 3.3
Volt PC Card Support: enables hardware manufacturers to use lower power
consumption. |
No
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Yes
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| Multifunction
PC Card Support: allows two or more functions on a single PC card. |
No
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Yes
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| Wireless
Connectivity |
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| Built-in
Support for Infrared Data Association Standard. |
Limited
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Yes
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| Networking |
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| Dial-Up
Networking including Multilink Channel Aggregation: provides dial-up scripting,
resulting in higher potential transfer speeds. |
Good
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Better
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| Client
Support for NetWare Directory Services (NDS): enables log on to Novell
NetWare 4.x servers running NDS and provides access files and print resources. |
Limited
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Yes
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| 32-Bit
Data Link Control: enables network administrators to add support for 32-bit
and 16-bit DLC programs. |
Limited
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Yes
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