At this point, flogging Windows 98, Microsoft's overhaul and upgrade of its Windows 95 operating system which is due out on June 25th, is a little like hyping one of those summer stadium concerts in April. We can see why we might want to go when it gets nearer the time, but only the real fans are going to get excited this early.
Nonetheless, Microsoft's airing in the Conrad Hotel earlier this week of an almost-ready-for-prime-time version of Windows 98 suggests PC owners will probably hand over their £99 when the time comes. The Microsoft spokesman suggested it was "an exciting upgrade for consumers."
If computer operating systems are something that gets one's pulse racing, that is, and it does have features most PC owners will probably opt for.
At the top of the list for the average home user will come Windows 98's greater speed, a faster shutdown, a massively-improved, query-based "Help" section (in Windows 95, it could better be named the "Helpless" section), a Systems Information tool that displays understandable details on every element of your computer, and a Systems File Checker tool which scans for broken or out-of-date files.
Of course, the key change in Windows 98 over Windows 95 is its tight integration of a Web environment with the operating system (but don't say that too loudly around the US Justice Department, which is currently eyeing Windows 98 and the way it meshes with Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer, as part of its anti-trust investigations into Microsoft's business practices).
Interestingly, Microsoft is pitching Windows 98 strongly at the smaller business end of the market which might not feel ready to move even further upwards in the operating system hierarchy to Windows NT. Microsoft is eager to nudge the business market towards NT and away from other rival systems like Unix, but seems willing to offer Windows 98 as an intermediary stage.
Indeed, the company stressed several times that users will be able to upgrade seamlessly from Windows 98 to NT for workstations, indicating that they feel they can ease nearly everybody in the working world into NT eventually.
Microsoft also seized the opportunity to show off Windows CE, the smaller and leaner sibling in the Windows family. CE runs on devices like palmtop computers, rather than on full-sized PCs, bringing an array of computer features to small gadgets.
Microsoft demonstrated a platform it calls believe it or not AutoPC. This runs an in-car device which responds to voice commands, can read out your email, dial anyone in your personal address files when told to by voice, and will say who is ringing on the mobile.
