Windows 98 (codename Memphis) is a graphical operating system released on June 25, 1998 by the Microsoft Corporation.

The new operating system was essentially an updated version of Windows 95, and like that earlier version, it was a hybrid 16-bit/32-bit product. Among its features were better AGP support, functional USB drivers, and support for multiple monitors and WebTV. As in later releases of Windows 95, Internet Explorer continued to be integrated into the Windows GUI (a feature which was called Active Desktop).

Although the upgrade sold well from the outset, Windows 98 was substantially larger and slower than Windows 95 and the original release had a significant number of compatibility and stability issues.

Second Edition

Windows 98 Second Edition (also known as "Windows 98 SE") was released on June 10, 1999. It included fixes for many minor issues, the replacement of Internet Explorer 4 with the significantly faster and lighter Internet Explorer 5, and Internet Connection Sharing, which allowed two computers on a LAN to share a single Internet connection through NAT. Also added was Netmeeting 3, and support for DVD.

It was a successful product, though it was not a free upgrade for Windows 98 (first edition) customers.

Windows 98 was succeeded by Windows Me, which was followed by Windows XP Home.

Microsoft planned to discontinue its support for Windows 98 on January 16, 2004. However, due to the continued popularity of the operating system (27% of Google's pageviews were on Windows 98 systems during October-November, 2003 [1]), Microsoft decided to maintain support until June 30, 2006. Support for Windows Me will also end on that date.

See also

• 98lite

External link

• Official page