Windows Millennium - It's Evolution Baby!
Written: Oct 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pretty easy upgrade, stable, System Restore is best MS enhancement since Internet Explorer
Cons: Sys requirements too forgiving, not a lot of earth shattering features, not as stable as NT/2000, pain in the butt to install from a clean hard disk
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| awoolcott's Full Review: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Media Only) ... |
About a month ago, I wrote about my experience with the upgrade process when it came to Windows Millennium. In that comment section I made it a point to do an update of that editorial and run through the features of Windows Me and basically tell everyone whether or not my computer is still standing. So, after a month, all I can say is – while the differences are minor, with some nice new features, on the whole it’s Windows 9x with a few new bells, whistles, and introductory Microsoft theme. Whether it’s worth the upgrade depends on the type of user you are. And yes, my computer is still standing (as soon as it learns to walk I am getting out of the IT field).
Upgrading/Clean Install/Preloaded - My upgrade process went smoothly as my editorial stated (if you haven’t read it, just go find it). It did its thing, installed nice (but not quickly) and generally got me up and running without a major, computer-screwing-up hitch. Don’t worry – none of your files will be deleted, and an option to go back to Windows 98 is available if you have the hard drive space.
I had the opportunity as well to do a clean install with the full Windows Me disk as well, on a totally empty computer. Now, that wasn’t fun. With Windows 9x installed, the drivers and the various accessories are already on the computer, making it easier for Millennium to install. With the clean install, well, it just doesn’t work that way. Millennium has no idea what drivers work for what, and doesn’t have those drivers in its database apparently, leaving you with some massive headaches. Still, I managed to bring it up to speed (after some serious haggling and threats to see if it bounces off the street below without breaking into itty bitty parts – yes the anger management courses aren’t doing too good). Of course no OS is easier to install than Windows NT – but that is for another review.
Also, I’ve been working lately with Windows Me on a preloaded computer (A Micron Millennia 2150A 700Mhz AMD Duron), and found some more subtle differences from the upgrade which really surprised me. For one, the “My Network Places” appears on this Micron PC, but not on my Compaq PC (though one of the menus claims I have it on the desktop. Weird). Also the active desktop menus have a different theme than mine. It’s still the same Windows Millennium, just a tad different in terms of GUI. Outside of that, all three different variations of WinMe are the same darn thing (that is a good thing).
Special, Superduper Features not before seen - No, there isn’t a lot of mind bending, exciting changes that will make you praise this as the most revolutionary OS in the world. Me is more evolutionary than anything. Actually, two of the bigger “features” that are on Millennium by default have been available for quite some time.
Windows Media Player 7 - I’ve been using WMP 7 since it was in beta back in May, so that’s not quite new to me. It is a very nice, albeit resource-hogging program, with support for CD’s, MP3’s, WMA CD ripping, and even radio station listening (I use it to connect to the rock station in Phoenix while surfing the internet – WMP does all that). Though I can get better performance out of MusicMatch or Winamp for musical features, Windows Media Player 7 is still a nice thing to have. And you are forced to have it if you want Windows Me.
Internet Explorer 5.5 - IE has always been my favorite web browser since I’ve been on the Internet (Netscape 4.x bugs me for some reason, but 6 looks nice), and it still is a good browser. 5.5 is not much different than 5.1 outside of, well nothing. And 5.5 isn’t quite new to me either – I’ve been using that since it came out in June or July (can’t remember which). Nothing thrilling here – IE is a web browser and that’s about it. It’s much more customizable than Netscape, and more stable (though I do get some illegal op crashes now and then).
MSN Messenger is also included, but that has been available for ages so y’all know what that is right? Too bad it’s the 2.2 version that comes standard (that Micron PC comes with 2.2, I’m up to 3.whatever it is now on my Compaq). There are also some new games for Windows Me like 3D pinball (something that has killed way too much of my time when I’m running Windows NT , but now it’s on Me so..), and a few built-in online games. Nothing too thrilling here, just a few extras.
The big new addition to the Windows 9x family is the most useful feature that MS has put in a OS that doesn’t have NT in the name..
System Restore - Basically, System Restore allows you to “roll back” (kind of similar to Wal-Mart rolling back prices, but not quite) your system to an earlier date, in case you make a mistake and do some bad stuff to your OS. It’s on the level of Windows NT’s “Last Known Good Configuration”, where a simple tap of the space button restores your PC to the last good state of being. But that mode has a flaw – if you don’t know you’ve goofed, you’re outta luck, because WinNT automatically updates the LKGC to the current setup. System Restore on Me is a LOT different. It supposedly updates and creates a restore point once every 10 hours or so, but remember you have to leave the computer on for 10 hours or more straight to get that to work.
What bugged me at first was the very first restore point I had on Me didn’t even work. I let it do its job (around 20 minutes or so) and it decided to tell me that it couldn’t do the restore. I sat there, cried, debated crying some more, then hugged my monitor and tried again (well I didn’t hug the monitor). I restored from a later date (a week or so later) and it restored my PC to the old way, WITHOUT taking away documents and the like. If you’ve installed programs and do the restore – I hope you have the install files burned to a CD-R or saved on a Zip – you’ll need to reinstall them.
System Restore comes in handy for so many reasons – if you are planning an overhaul of your computer and go on a deleting file rampage, make sure you manually create a restore point. If you are planning a registry putzer-wither- time, ditto. If installing a program that you aren’t sure will destroy your computer to the point that the idea of calling in Darth Vader to fix it sounds good, use System Restore. That’s what it’s there for. It’s great for the tinker-typed people who like doing funny things to get some funny results. It’s also essential for non-experienced users who are more apt to delete things they shouldn’t be due to curiosity (remember the mantra – Curiosity killed the cat). Honestly the System Restore is the best thing Microsoft has implemented in an OS in years. I have heard that the Sys Restore doesn’t get to everything sometimes, but because I’ve only used it on a healthy system, I can’t tell (and I am NOT going to destroy my installation for that reason).
So, like, what else is new? - A new splash screen at the startup. No there is more. Windows Me boots a lot faster, by probably 20-30 seconds depending on the PC. Why? Because finally Windows 9x doesn’t need DOS to boot. Windows NT and 2000 don’t work from DOS, and now Millennium doesn’t either. You can’t reboot to DOS without some fun hacks (sorry, I ain’t telling!), and the DOS prompt (called Command Prompt in NT, MS-DOS Prompt in Me) is hidden in the Accessories folder. DOS isn’t as useful as it used to be, and really I don’t miss it. I’ve forgotten so much about DOS that I don’t care to relearn it. I use it for PING and TRACERT but that is about all it’s good for nowadays, unless you are a batch file kinda person. The only thing that I miss about booting to DOS first is I’ve always liked the ScanDisk that is used there (which is sad because I can’t stand looking at ScanDisk).
The other thing I really like is the way the program folders are shown in Me. Unlike the old Windows 98, where clicking Start>Programs would lead me to one long list of programs that I would have to scroll half way to Canada to get to the bottom. With Windows Me, The folders are shown side by side instead of going off the page (I believe the technical term is “cascading” but what do I know). I find this to be a lifesaver because I have too many programs as it is and I want to get to them quickly!
Another simple, but effective feature comes when saving programs and that sort. When I start a download, and select save to disk, it gives me the usual menu for where to direct the file. But only now it gives me choices on the side to save the file. I find this to be absolutely divine, because I can just click on the Desktop icon and save it there (where I normally save downloads). It’s simple, and something that should have been implemented a long time ago. Not all the programs let you do this, but the ones that do make moving, saving, and finding files that much easier.
And oh, there are new icons for My Computer, Network Neighborhood (now known as My Network Places) and the Recycle Bin. They are just eye candy but still pretty cool. Either that or I’m just strange. Probably the latter.
Speed, Stability, Salivating? - The burning question is..is Millennium stable? Yes, for a simple answer. It’s a tad more stable than Windows 98. I used to average about 2 crashes a week. With WinMe I’ve gotten 2 crashes since I installed it 5 weeks ago. So yes it is stable. Nothing has brought the computer down to its knees that badly. If you are looking for Windows NT stability, you won’t find it, but for a home OS it does a good job.
Is it fast? I guess so. I don’t find much difference in speed, or resource hogging as opposed to Windows 98 really. But it’s not slower either. It’s just about the same. But remember, it’s not always the OS that is slow; it has to be part RAM, part processor, part HD speed. Keep that up to date and it probably will work faster than it used to. You can’t rely on upgrading OS’s to increase speed – you’ve got to do some dirty work inside your computer too. Just for the sake of statistics, I run Windows Me on my Compaq with an AMD K6-2 550Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive setup.
Compatible or Com-Crashable? - Thankfully, outside of a few programs here and there, all of the programs on Windows 98 translated to Windows Millennium. As a precaution I uninstalled McAfee Nuts & Bolts ’98 from my Win98 configuration (considering it had ’98 in the title I didn’t think it would get along well with WinMe), but outside of that left everything the same.
I did find that Norton CleanSweep 2000 was not compatible (which was strange considering Norton Anti-Virus and Utilities worked fine), but I could still run it by just clicking OK at the pop-up box. CleanSweep 2001 works fine though, as the entire SystemWorks 2001 is. The Intellipoint 3.1 drivers that came with my Intellimouse Explorer also were ruled incompatible, but I followed the same pattern as CleanSweep and it seemed to be okay. BUT, I went and downloaded the 3.2 drivers and those didn’t even so much as let me show the computer which mouse I was using, and couldn’t even set the buttons the way I wanted them to work. Considering it’s a Microsoft product, you’d think they would get that working right, but haven’t yet. I assume they will, though. On the whole though you should find that most 9x programs will work effectively on Windows Me.
Should you upgrade? - That all depends. If you are a computer geek I don’t see why not (and probably the most hardcore geeks have already bought it). If you are NOT a geek though, it depends on your previous installation. If you are running Windows 9x and it works just fine, right now I don’t think you should bother for the time being. If it isn’t broke don’t fix it as they say. Also if your system is right at the specs, don’t upgrade. Microsoft hasn’t learned how to really give out recommended specs and give too much leniency with them. As long as you are running a 250Mhz, 64MB RAM, 10+ GB hard drive it should be just fine.
Now if your Windows 9x installation is a mess, then yes you might want to upgrade. Or run restore and start over. Hopefully if you do an install of Me over 9x, it might fix your issues, or it COULD mess it up more. I’ve heard both ways. Honestly it depends on your interest of computers – if you HAVE to have the latest upgrade of Windows to tinker with, then by all means get the upgrade. If you are a casual user who goes online and uses email and word processing, don’t bother upgrading. If you are into music and multimedia issues, then Millennium is for you. If not, stick with 9x. It’s a love or loathe situation really. It all depends on your usage and skills with a computer that dictates your needs for a Millennium upgrade.
Overall - Personally, I like Windows Me. I’ve always preferred the 9x series over 3.1 (annoying), and this one is probably the best yet. While I prefer the stability of Windows NT (which I have installed on an older computer at home), Windows Me is still rather stable, and the extra features are welcome, especially System Restore. It’s been business as usual for my computer despite the change. But if you are looking for a revolutionary upgrade, then you will be disappointed. Windows Millennium is not a revolution, it’s an evolution.
Recommended:
Yes
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awoolcott
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Location: Arizona
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2009 was a pretty good year for games, but next year, wow.
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