OS and new hardware, will it work?

jason7385 · Post by **jason7385** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 7:57 am

Say you were building a new computer with all new hardware. Will Windows 95 work on it. I mean new hardware has like USB 2.0 and DVD RW drives etc... How will Windows 95 work with these hardware and connections?

peteamer · Post by **peteamer** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:15 am

Jason,

The original version of W95 will not support USB,
later versions (OSR2.5) will support it but I think you'll find it's patchy.

You really need to go to at least 98SE to get full support for USB.

So I guess the other parts of your question don't need answering

I'm sure this is right but confirmation from someone else would be good

Pete

johnc · Post by **johnc** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 9:07 am

I agree with Pete.

Windows 95 was a substantial improvement over Windows 3.1, but it is now a hindrance re: hardware and software.

Windows 98 is now the most common version worldwide, but it will inevitably be supplanted by Windows XP, due to technical advances in Windows XP and the relationship between big computer manufacturers (e.g., Dell), business IT departments, and Microsoft.

I suspect that most of the active members of this Forum have waded through several versions of Windows, and each has a favorite. Windows 98SE is probably the most user-friendly, and is almost as stable as Windows XP, according to published surveys. Windows XP (especially the Pro version) has built-in security measures that seem (to me) excessive and burdensome for most home users.

Pricing for these products is fairly similar, with the older versions being slightly less expensive. Windows XP does impose re-installation hazards, since at a certain level of hardware change a new registration is required. This is more a nuisance than anything else.

So, in the short-term, Windows 98SE is probably a good choice for a home user. Longer term, Windows XP would be best, although I say this reluctantly.

MGP · Post by **MGP** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 9:42 am

Isn't it also likely that Win95 wouldn't recognize such peripherals like a DVD-RW optical drive (Not sure if it was Win98 or 95 that "officially" supported DVD)?

Beyonder · Post by **Beyonder** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 11:12 am

my $.02:

Spending the money to get a copy of either XP Home or XP Professional, or even W2K, will be far more worthwhile than dealing with an outdated, buggy, unsupported OS like 95 or 98.

Gooserider · Post by **Gooserider** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 7:35 pm

jason7385:
Say you were building a new computer with all new hardware. Will Windows 95 work on it. I mean new hardware has like USB 2.0 and DVD RW drives etc... How will Windows 95 work with these hardware and connections?

Well I have mixed opinions...

I agree with the previous responses that W95 probably won't work well, and isn't worth the effort. (Of course I've always felt that way about most MS products...

)

I presume that the reason you are trying to make W95 work is that you aren't willing to give more money to prop up the evil empire...

Consider using the source, and getting a copy of Linux, which will support nearly all hardware (except things like 'Win-modems' and other 'virtual hardware'), and do so without the security risks and unreliability of MS products.

Most popular distros can be downloaded as ISO images, or if you have a slow connection can be obtained on CD from outfits like Cheapbytes - (Cheapbytes is so cheap you'll probably pay more for postage than you will for the CD!)

Gooserider