Windows ME and cable modem

stryder2929 · Post by **stryder2929** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 9:53 am

Hey, to those earlier who helped me fix my cable modem aol problem, thanx. It's working again.

I have another question though. I'm considering upgrading my current version of windows 98 to windows ME since we got it for the office.

I have two main concerns

1) Is windows ME better than 98? Such as is it faster to boot up the machine, are the menus cooler(not that i really care) but just stuff like that. Basically, over all is it a better OS than windows 98

2) The second issue and most important one, will upgrading to the new windows alter my cable modem settings, or anything in the registry? Cause i'm not gonna go through the mess of reconfiguring my cable modem again unless i absolutely have to.

blebs · Post by **blebs** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 10:06 am

Unless you do a lot of photo editing and such, I think the general recommendation would be to stay with 98. I've heard that internet connection speed is somewhat slower with ME. It really depends on what you use your computer for! A lot of people love ME and a lot of others will tell you to stay with 98se. I'm sure others will post to this also and then you can make an informed decision on which is better for you.
As far as the registry goes-there will be some changes and you'll probably have to reconfigure after you've installed the OS. It shouldn't be all that bad though. Again, it's your choice as the user of the machine which way you want to go.
I'm sticking with 98se until Windows XP comes out shortly, and even then, I'm going to look at the reviews before making the decision to change to a new OS.
Hope this helps you somewhat.

stryder2929 · Post by **stryder2929** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 10:11 am

I see.

Also i forgot to mention before, whats the difference between windows me and win2k?

And what is this windows XP i'm hearing about now? whens that supposed to come out?

blebs · Post by **blebs** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 10:24 am

Windows ME is built on the 9x user platform and W2K is on the NT platform. Like Home user and Business user though some use W2K for home also-it has an outstanding Internet stack build, great for tweaking the speed!

I would check with Brent on the expected release date of XP. It is the same as Whistler from what I understand and is in Beta testing at this point. The OS is a cross breed between the 9x and NT platform which is why I think you might want to wait and see what it has to offer before going to another operating system at this point.
You may also want to check the thread below and mingle around on the software forum. In fact, ask your question there and I'm sure you'll get a real good idea of what you want to do. Here' the thread to check for starters. http://forums.speedguide.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=001782

Indy · Post by **Indy** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 10:26 am

If you're just upgrading to WinME, you shouldn't have to reload all of your network settings...I just upgraded to ME and all the settings stayed the same...
WinME has been working fine for me and I've been getting as good or better speeds with it than I was with 98...I could be wrong, but I think it has more to do with the fact that WinME deals with RAM better than it's predecessor (I've got 384 meg ram in the system right now)...
The differences between winME and Win2K is that 2000 is based on the NT operating system, whereas ME is based on the 9x operating system. Win2k is more stable and more secure than 9x, but may not be able to use all the same software/hardware that you can in 9x (although that's not so much an issue anymore).
WinXP is the combination of the two operating systems into one geared for both the consumer market and the business market. Microsoft has been working towards this goal for the last 10 years or so...The only thing that I don't like about XP is the fact that if you have to reinstall it more than a couple of times, you end up having to call Microsoft to get authorization to do it. I hope they can put together an os that doesn't need reloading more than a couple of times a year

stryder2929 · Post by **stryder2929** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 1:01 pm

is windows 98 se any better or faster than windows 98?

Aaladar · Post by **Aaladar** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 1:07 pm

If you really want to upgrade now I'd go Windows ME. But if I were you, I'd wait and see how Windows XP turns out...

stryder2929 · Post by **stryder2929** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 4:56 pm

Will upgrading to windows ME mess up my settings for cable modem?

Also doesnt windows ME make your computer boot up faster?

I heard from cnet that in order to install windows XP you actually have to call up microsoft and get a special number from them directly in their efforts to cut down on illegal copies.

Aaladar · Post by **Aaladar** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 5:41 pm

1) I've heard from other sources on this mesage board that doing the install keeps your settings the same. I'm not quite sure though... Worst case scenario you have to apply the patches agiain.

2) For me it didn't really make the computer boot much faster. It made my computer much more stabler and fixed a couple of bugs.

3) I've heard that you only have to do this if you install the product more than twice.

psyche777 · Post by **psyche777** » Sun Feb 18, 2001 9:09 pm

from a technical point of view - at the beginning saw alot of trouble with ME -- now that most people know that basically troubleshooting ME is the same as 98 it's better -- as far as operations the only thing i can say is the @home cd won't recognize ME so you have to actually go into the install folder if you want to reload that (which hardly anyone uses anyway) and if you use AOL with @home you don't want to use the new 6.0 because it seems to cause more problems than 4.0 or 5.0 -- most people i know that have ME love it now that the beginning stuff is over with -- downside to the new one is that if you need tech support the chances of getting someone that knows what to do is greatly decreased -- me

stryder2929 · Post by **stryder2929** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 12:23 am

Ok, I think it's just gonna be a choice between win2k and windows ME. If i had to choose one which one should it be.

I have a pII 400 mhz, 64mb ram, 16mb ati video card.

I use my cpu primarily for games and downloading stuff with my cable modem.

I'm basically looking for an OS that will run smoother, maybe boot up quicker, and possibly make my downloads and games faster.

ryansanders13 · Post by **ryansanders13** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 12:41 am

Hey,
I have Windows ME and its the same to me as Win 98. One thing though is that when your turn on your pc it takes a little but longer to boot up.If your wanting to download fonts and install them ..well...i havnt figured out how to on ME cause the install button is not on there. Downloads and Connections: In downloading stuff i was usually in the 3K/Per Second to 6K/Per Second.. And my connection was usually at 53,333 bps. There ya go..hope that helps you!

ryansanders13 · Post by **ryansanders13** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 12:43 am

The Post above me...i was giving out my 56K connections and downloads.

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 1:31 am

WinME is better if you have a DSL/Cable connection, since WInME has the same TCP/IP stack as Win2K. WinME also boots up considerably faster then Win98, since it does not load any Real Mode DOS drivers at bootup. In short, WinME is better than Win98, but I'd wait for WinXP.

Gandalf · Post by **Gandalf** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 1:36 am

winme and cable modem is great

Glug Glug Glug · Post by **Glug Glug Glug** » Mon Feb 19, 2001 7:53 am

WinME and cable modem combo is great..

.. Really.. its workin for me... and faster bootup 2...