Windows Millenium Thai Edition

[ferguston]

Yes, I'm not joking a question about Windows Millennium!

My spare lap-top is still usable but, I don't think it can cope with Windows XP ( It's a Compaq Armada -PII 233MHz and a max of 160MB RAM ).

Rather then turn it into a door-stop I'd like to install Windows Me instead of the current Windows '98 (yes '98). The only version I can lay my hands on is Windows Me Thai Edition.

2 questions - Does any member have experience of using Windows Me?

- Does Widows Me Thai version still have English (UK) or is it only Thai script?

Any other suggestions on how to keep my lap-top at the cutting edge would be appreciated apart from the door stop option.

Thanks,

Ferguston

[Guest Reimar]

Yes, I'm not joking a question about Windows Millennium!

My spare lap-top is still usable but, I don't think it can cope with Windows XP ( It's a Compaq Armada -PII 233MHz and a max of 160MB RAM ).

Rather then turn it into a door-stop I'd like to install Windows Me instead of the current Windows '98 (yes '98). The only version I can lay my hands on is Windows Me Thai Edition.

2 questions - Does any member have experience of using Windows Me?

- Does Widows Me Thai version still have English (UK) or is it only Thai script?

Any other suggestions on how to keep my lap-top at the cutting edge would be appreciated apart from the door stop option.

Thanks,

Ferguston

You can use with English but many things will be in Thai only.

If you want you can get an used but original ME from me, just PM me.

Cheers.

[Veazer]

Does any member have experience of using Windows Me?

Yes, but after 12 months of therapy I was much better.

Seriously, Windows ME was a major headache and I would avoid it at all costs. Win98SE was far more stable in my experience. A heavily "lightened" installation of Win2K might be tolerable. nLite can also be used to thin windows a bit (http://www.nliteos.com/guide/)

Depending on your uses, you might be able to use one of the lighter Linux distros out there as well if it's mostly for web browsing, word processing, etc.

[Guest Reimar]

Don't be to negative Veazer, was using ME on an old Laptop 233 MHz, 96 MB 10 GB, without any problems and better and more stable than 98SE before. It's depend you want to use it for what application me think. For to use as a Laptop is designed for: temporary use on the move, no any problems and even for the normal use still much good enough.

Cheers.

[Veazer]

Don't be to negative Veazer, was using ME on an old Laptop 233 MHz, 96 MB 10 GB, without any problems and better and more stable than 98SE before. It's depend you want to use it for what application me think. For to use as a Laptop is designed for: temporary use on the move, no any problems and even for the normal use still much good enough.

Cheers.

I'm not trying to be negative, i'm just relaying my experience with WinME. I don't seem to be the only person with this feeling if you read some reviews around the net. Even the Wikipedia article for Win98 begins with:

"Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit monolithic product based on MS-DOS. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows Me on September 14, 2000.

Windows 98 is commonly recommended over its successor, Windows Me, due to the higher stability of Windows 98."

The Windows ME article goes on to say:

"Windows Me was criticized by users for its instability and unreliability, due to frequent freezes and crashes. A PC World article dubbed Windows Me the "Mistake Edition" and listed it as the fourth "Worst Tech Product of All Time". "Shortly after Me appeared in late 2000," the article states, "users reported problems installing it, getting it to run, getting it to work with other hardware or software, and getting it to stop running." Even Microsoft acknowledged its unpopularity."

Even Microsoft seems to be willing to take a few jabs at Windows ME, scroll about 1/3 of the way down the "The Future of Windows XP" page and you'll find this:

"We've spent more than a year consulting with our customers and industry partners to ensure that we're doing the right thing. We understand that not everyone may agree with our decision—just as not everyone was happy to see Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME retire (OK, perhaps not ME)."

[higgy88]

I still have and still use an old Compaq desktop with an AMD K-6 266 MHz CPU and it is maxed out at 64 MB RAM, and I am still using Windows 98 SE. I installed Windows ME a few years ago and used it for a few months, but then took it out and went back to my old tried and true Win 98. I don't remember exactly why I didn't like ME, only that I liked 98 better.

[Guest Reimar]

I still have and still use an old Compaq desktop with an AMD K-6 266 MHz CPU and it is maxed out at 64 MB RAM, and I am still using Windows 98 SE. I installed Windows ME a few years ago and used it for a few months, but then took it out and went back to my old tried and true Win 98. I don't remember exactly why I didn't like ME, only that I liked 98 better.

Because Win98SE uses max 64 MB Memory while ME 128 MB which your Laptop didn't has.

Cheers.

[Guest Reimar]

Don't be to negative Veazer, was using ME on an old Laptop 233 MHz, 96 MB 10 GB, without any problems and better and more stable than 98SE before. It's depend you want to use it for what application me think. For to use as a Laptop is designed for: temporary use on the move, no any problems and even for the normal use still much good enough.

Cheers.

I'm not trying to be negative, i'm just relaying my experience with WinME. I don't seem to be the only person with this feeling if you read some reviews around the net. Even the Wikipedia article for Win98 begins with:

"Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit monolithic product based on MS-DOS. Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows Me on September 14, 2000.

Windows 98 is commonly recommended over its successor, Windows Me, due to the higher stability of Windows 98."

The Windows ME article goes on to say:

"Windows Me was criticized by users for its instability and unreliability, due to frequent freezes and crashes. A PC World article dubbed Windows Me the "Mistake Edition" and listed it as the fourth "Worst Tech Product of All Time". "Shortly after Me appeared in late 2000," the article states, "users reported problems installing it, getting it to run, getting it to work with other hardware or software, and getting it to stop running." Even Microsoft acknowledged its unpopularity."

Even Microsoft seems to be willing to take a few jabs at Windows ME, scroll about 1/3 of the way down the "The Future of Windows XP" page and you'll find this:

"We've spent more than a year consulting with our customers and industry partners to ensure that we're doing the right thing. We understand that not everyone may agree with our decision—just as not everyone was happy to see Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME retire (OK, perhaps not ME)."

I never listen for what the even majority of humans will tell if I had my own experiences. Important for me is, what I can do and not what others can or can bot do.

And I even don't like to look and search for something just for to show what others think!

As you and me know, everything has min. 2 sides: a good one and a bad one and some having some more sides between. What others think may it's ok for them, if THEY tell the truth but as long as you haven't your own experiences, everything what you tell is never objective. And if you have your own experiences, to compare you can only do with the same Hardware, the same software, the same setup and even the same (play-)Data.

And just for my own experiences and even a lot of my customers, ME was ok and much good enough for working, with less problems than 98 SE. And That's MY experiences, not some from Wikipedia pp. or other sources!

On the other hand ME had a bad start together with Windows 200 and to be replaced by XP 1 1/2 year later.

Cheers.

[higgy88]

I am not a computer expert.

I do not fix computers for a living.

I have been called a nerd, but for very different reasons.

My only experience is with my own computers.

I do not like it at all when any of my (currently) 3 computers starts to act up and not do what I want.

I consider those days to be bad days, which I like to keep to a minimum.

In my very very humble opinion, I liked Windows 98 SE better than I did Windows ME.

And BTW this is from wikipedia for Windows ME

System requirements

Minimum system requirements:

Processor: Pentium 150MHz

Hard drive space: 320MB

RAM: 32MB

Recommended system requirements:

Processor: Pentium II 300MHz

Hard drive space: 2GB

RAM: 96MB

[14]

And one more thing. I have never owned and have no plans on ever owning a laptop. All my computers have been desktops. And I don't throw anything away until it becomes useless.

[dave_boo]

I still have and still use an old Compaq desktop with an AMD K-6 266 MHz CPU and it is maxed out at 64 MB RAM, and I am still using Windows 98 SE. I installed Windows ME a few years ago and used it for a few months, but then took it out and went back to my old tried and true Win 98. I don't remember exactly why I didn't like ME, only that I liked 98 better.

Because Win98SE uses max 64 MB Memory while ME 128 MB which your Laptop didn't has.

Cheers.

Actually, Win98 utilised up to 768 MB. Blame the Vcache which would 'reserve' enough RAM to ground the system to a halt if it thought it could 'reserve' it. It should have recognised up to 4 GB, but since that would have probably cost as much as a house back in the day, it was not designed to take advantage of the 32 bit addressing limitation.

I'm with everyone else though, ditch the Windows ME idea.....a rather poor excuse for an OS!

[niller74]

Throw a Xubuntu livecd at it and see what happens. If everything critical (network, graphics, mouse, etc) works off the cd you wont have many problems. And it is defenately recommended over an old version of BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) system.

My 2 cent

[A_Traveller]

Oddly my experience with ME matches that with Vista. If a system was built 'for it' {e.g came pre-installed} then it ran well, but upgrading was problematical. One interesting point here is how over time peoples expectations have changed. ME was viewed as a failure since t was looked upon as 98+ and XP was greeted as a major upgrade. The oddity was that within ME a number of XP facilities, mostly 'Home' features' were trailed but it never recovered from the initial poor reception, which became perceptible reality.

Looking back at the reports on ME I'm struck by the similarities at least in scope to 98 -> ME and the present XP ->Vista discussions, {i.e. XP is Vista's greatest competitor} which like it or not will probably carry on now through to 7's release.

Regards

PS Short answer, if the kit was originally designed for ME it'll work reasonably well, where as XP will show the system shortcomings, but add FF as a browser please.

[dotcom]

ME = worst ever. 98SE 500 times better.

[A_Traveller]

^ Well I ran a Sony Picture Book C1 Transmetta {weighed less than 1lb} with pre-installed ME for years, the system travelled around the world {literally} several times, and except for a hard disk replacement {for additional storage} never BSOD'd me or failed, so that's a real expereince not here say. As I noted ME got slated initially for not being a significant upgrade and key reviewers damned it with faint praise {Vista anyone}.

Regards

[monty]

I would recommend windows 2000, will work perfectly on your laptop, might be a bit searching for drivers though....

[katana]

I used Win ME for a long time on a Compaq. Found it quite stable and had few problems. Had better experiences with it than Win 98.

[pampal]

I agree that win 98se is much better than Me, that might be your best option

[Crossy]

I would recommend windows 2000, will work perfectly on your laptop, might be a bit searching for drivers though....

Exactly what I was thinking, W2k should go reasonably well on the beast and it's way more stable than ME ever was

Plenty of online resources for antique drivers

Edited July 5, 2008 by Crossy

[ferguston]

Thanks for all of the replies to my question about my old lap top and Windows Me.

I didn't realise I'd create so much debate.

I'll be giving Windows Me a try but Monty's suggestion of Windows 2000 is another option.

It does highlight the dilemma with using old technology. No doubt in 2015 someone will be posting similar questions about Windows XP and Vista !

[Daffy D]

Another vote for ME here.

Before I got on line and found this forum with all the help and useful information I knew little about computers and just went for the latest release which happened to be ME.

I didn’t know it was supposed to have problems and be unstable - I had no problem with it – worked just fine.

Now with the help of this forum I find that my XP Pro is unstable and full of bugs and I should have saved my money and installed the hassle free and money free Linux. But that’s life.

[dave_boo]

Another vote for ME here.

Before I got on line and found this forum with all the help and useful information I knew little about computers and just went for the latest release which happened to be ME.

I didn't know it was supposed to have problems and be unstable - I had no problem with it – worked just fine.

Now with the help of this forum I find that my XP Pro is unstable and full of bugs and I should have saved my money and installed the hassle free and money free Linux. But that's life.

You had me chuckling here. XP Pro was never unstable in my book, and I skipped WinME because Win2K was supposed to be just around the corner. Waiting on that I found out that it wasn't going to be the computer gaming powerhouse that I was expecting, so 98SE stayed on my hdd until XP. I'm also assuming that you're being facetious about hassle free Linux....I'm a dyed in the wool Linux user and I'd never tell a n00b that!