WTF?!? No Win98 drivers in the box?!?

[DukeP]

Originally posted by R.Carter


If you are seeing the Infinite Loop or NV Loop/BSOD error under Windows XP then you might want to take a look at this page for some help.

Thank You very much!
I will try to test these fixes - some of them sound helpful.

~~DukeP~~

[xortam]

Umfriend ... You're misusing the term middleware. What you are mostly talking about are bundled applications and utilities. Middleware is basically an interface layer which allows disparate applications to communicate. I don't want to sidetrack the thread lecturing on OS and software design but be careful when throwing around some of these terms.

[Montanan]

see post below

[Montanan]

"Applications are just that applications. They do not slow the system down just by being on your disk."

Yes they slow down access times, optimization times, and upgrades in Hard drive hardware

"Win2K's disk footprint is large or is it more when running it requires more resource (memory?)"

Win2K requires more memory, hardeware etc. cuss it loads massive amounts of software garbage that most dont want, nor need. i.e. middleware

"If you actually properly looked at a Win9x system (using a proper process monitor) then you'd also see lots of bloaty stuff."

Given that win98 has some bloatware, but a user can choose to not install most of it on installation, unlike autoinstall in win2K XP etc.. Thus, would u rather have 150mb of win98 or gigabytes witn 2K/XP

"It's possible to configure most of it away - you just need to know how to do it."

Most dont want to have to spend hours configuring, tweaking, reg hacking etc to remove bloatware that we didnt want in the first place. Its bad enough microsoft charges for the extra garbage, all we want is an OS from them.

"The price of an extra 1GB disk and 64MB of RAM is nothing when compared to the massive improvement in reliability"

Again, why not just buy whole computer to work with your 200$ OS, and almost forgot, $400 video card that doesnt have win98 drivers.

"It is expensive to purchase - £200 or so but you can get a real cheap deal if you're a student"

Be nice to ge tthe software breaks if i was a student. But seeing how im 34 with family etc... i get to absorb the full price.

Now let me state i dont mean to be meanspirited to the prior poster, or those who hug microsoft latest OS releases, but the simple fact remains, MANY of us dont want bloatware, dont want to buy new computers to run a $400 video card, and dont want to be told to spend hours upon hours tweaking, configing, optimization, deleting trash, etc.. IF you think win2K is bad, try winXP (yes i owned it) with the call in key protection of 3 times, give me a break.

Thus, there are many like me who just want the Parhelia card to work in windows98. Win98 is more than enough OS for most of us, i have 768kb ram, yes i had to alter vcache settings, but that is a fraction of the hardware/config/old software config problems with microsofts latest offerings.

If you have unlimited money, unlimited free time, and unlimited patience, by all means upgrade, update, and spend away on the latest ms softwares.

But if you are a working man, non computer geek, have a life outside of windows registry, and appreciate simpler more efficient things in life, keep writing matrox for win98 drivers for the Parhelia.

Afterall, their G400-550 matrox base is largely windows 95/98/ME. When was last time anyone with a win2K/XP machine used a matrox? Matrox support your base and loyal customers, make it easy for us to upgrade. Make it hard for the ms fanboys to say suck it up and join the bloat boat.

[Reckless]

dear oh dear

Originally posted by Montanan
Afterall, their G400-550 matrox base is largely windows 95/98/ME. When was last time anyone with a win2K/XP machine used a matrox? Matrox support your base and loyal customers, make it easy for us to upgrade. Make it hard for the ms fanboys to say suck it up and join the bloat boat.

You've obviously never used Win2K, fine don't! No-one will care much whatever you do. I fully support Matrox's move to release 2K/XP driver first and personally they'd also get my support if they didn't ever support Win9x. As long as they produced Linux or whatever other forward-looking OS - maybe Macs one day - (none of which I use btw) then good for them.

You HAVE unlimited money if you're buying a Parhelia which is by all accounts the most expensive retail card out (bar one or two of the GF4/4600 boards with 3D glasses and such). If you've got the hardware then you need to use the right software. I think I'll buy a Ferrari then urinate in the tank as I can't afford the fuel

I tried to be objective in my post. You just came across as a guy who's 'forcing' himself to stick with a crappy old outdated OS when you're hardware is probably more than capable of doing much more.

Also, go and look up the term Middleware. You've obviously zero clue about software design (u can try and pick on me - I've been a sad developer for 15 years).

I cannot believe that some people seem to bite off their own nose to spite their face. People seem to actually resent paying for an OS! Win98 is around 4 years old. Things move on, software (generally) gets better. Microsoft screwed up with too many Win9x point releases but they did not screw up with Win2K. I am pleased to be running what I consider to be the best desktop OS available. I've even managed to get praise from a m8 who hates MS with a vengence but a week after ditching Win98 for Win2K he was transformed and this viewpoint hasn't changed (6 months later). I don't work for MS and get nothing for praising their effort but I feel they deserve some praise for getting something right at long last. If you really hate MS that much then ditch 'em completely and get Linux.... (waiting for flames about app/game/parhelia support on that one now...)

Personally, I feel WinXP is a load of old blaf as it's Win2K with a set of teletubby clothes and another £200 (pro) price tag. This is laughable considering I've run both at home and it does absolutely nothing my Win2K setup cannot do. If you had this argument I would be in 100% agreement.

[Wombat]

Hey, I resent paying for an OS. I resent even more that the price keeps going up, because the "OS does so much more." I don't want it to do more, I want it to run my hardware. I <I>already have</I> browsers, movie viewers, picture editors, card games, mail editors, music players, instant messengers, word processors, and web servers. I DON'T want to pay for yours, nor should I have to sacrifice a goat to remove these cursed things (if I'm even allowed), especially when all the default settings cause my computer to light up vulnerability checks like a goddamn Christmas tree. I resent that the "support" I'm supposed to have goes away, and that I have to acquire the new OS just to use hardware the old version was supposed to support anyway. So I can't use my USB devices, but since I can now can play freecell, take a screenshot, touch it up, put it on my own web page, and send an e-mail to my friends about it, my computer is "improved?"

Buying a Parhelia means unlimited money? Let's see, that's $400, the same price as a copy of WinXP Pro! And that will change as time goes on, since hardware gets cheaper, and MS products don't. Win95 still goes for $90.

[DGhost]

Win95 goes for $90 retail if its an upgrade. same as Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP Home Edition. they all also cost about $200 for a full version. always have. the cost of the OS has not gone up at all.

comparing Windows XP Pro to Windows ME is a different story. Windows XP Pro is geared at replacing Windows 2000 Pro, which replaced Windows NT Workstation. Windows XP Pro is sharing the same retail costs as Windows 2000 Pro.

Also, i have never had a problem with USB devices and Windows XP Pro. nor have i had problems with XP Pro and any sort of decent computer with quality components. go figure.

[Stringy]

Wow did this thread ever take a turn....

Why is it people are so Bent over OS support...
MS is a Company, they Make Money, that is their WHOLE purpose...
In order to get people to buy their "latest" OS they must make "improvements" to the OS, which usually means including external apps into the OS so they work seemlessly within the OS enviornment... ie NotePad was an advancement over "edit" in DOS
If you don't want anything included and Want to have complete and utter control of your OS, having it as plan as a sheet of paper there is a Product for you.... its called Lunix with one of the various shells availible, and it's pretty much free, eliminating the other gripe...

XP has advances which are useful, don't kid yourself... I own a DigitalCam, and XP's Included interface or "wizard" works like a Charm, a pleasant suprise...

Not to mention XP and 2k have a more Finished working order...

Backward compatibility has been the Leech on the PC industry for years!! I say burry the win9x core, it's long been dead and cold... it has long since stunk the place up.....


Hope to see the reviews for the P, and the state of drivers...
Craig

[Wombat]

Yeah, damn backward compatibility. Get rid of x86!

[Hati]

Most dont want to have to spend hours configuring, tweaking, reg hacking etc to remove bloatware that we didnt want in the first place. Its bad enough microsoft charges for the extra garbage, all we want is an OS from them.

AGREE!
I was hoping to run WIN98SE a few more months an go to WinXP
about Sept./Oct. as I am very busy now (at work and at home).
And I wanted to do some hardware upgrades before XP installation because of XP's sensibility to changing components.
Hoped Parhelia would come with Win9x drivers, but now a will buy the card later on.
One more point is I will have to update a lot of software to run on XP (e.g. Virus scanner, Partition magic drive imaging software and severall applications) which is too much effort for me right now.
Hati

[Rags]

Originally posted by ralf
Since the Parhelia, to my knowledge, is supposed to comply to standards supported in win9x, by far the most used and widespread OS, it would be a scandal not to supply drivers for this OS.

It is not a question of whether 98SE is good or bad, or whether 2K and XP will bring salvation to the world.

If you need an OS upgrade to use USB 4.0, SerialATA 3.0 or AGP 16x is another matter; it is not the case here.

I use both 98SE and XP extensively, i.e not primarily to play games, and while XP is a little speedier in some cases I do not see any difference in the much touted stability. But when things go wrong, and they at some point always do, 98SE is much, much easier to handle.

Montanan, I say "yay" to your post.

I don't believe you have used either win2k or even XP extensively, or as much as you are trying to lead us to believe.

When someting in an XP or 2K install goes wrong, it is usually almost TOO easy to get it back up and running, provided you are half way educated on how to set it up.

Rags

[Rags]

Originally posted by ralf
I don´t care what you beleive.
You don´t know what you are talking about, little man.

Oh yes, I do. Junior.

If you would take the time to learn how to set up XP/2K, you would see how far off the mark your statement is.

Rags

[Casey Jones]

Originally posted by ralf
Since the Parhelia, to my knowledge, is supposed to comply to standards supported in win9x, by far the most used and widespread OS, it would be a scandal not to supply drivers for this OS.

It is not a question of whether 98SE is good or bad, or whether 2K and XP will bring salvation to the world.

If you need an OS upgrade to use USB 4.0, SerialATA 3.0 or AGP 16x is another matter; it is not the case here.

I use both 98SE and XP extensively, i.e not primarily to play games, and while XP is a little speedier in some cases I do not see any difference in the much touted stability. But when things go wrong, and they at some point always do, 98SE is much, much easier to handle.

Montanan, I say "yay" to your post.

ralf, instead of barfing, why not try eating a bunch of legumes and see if you can start farting.

Maybe your head will come out that way.

Casey

[Greebe]

Whoa... I made some lentil soup last week and was ripping them with the best!

[Ant]

No bickering children or you know what I'll do.