Linux market share set to surpass Win 98, OS X still ahead of Vista

Ars Technica ^ | September 3rd | Ryan Paul

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Recent statistics released by W3Counter reveal that the market share of Windows 98 fell from 1.44 percent to 1.34 percent in August, reducing it to the same level of popularity as the open source Linux operating system, which saw its market share increase from 1.33 to 1.34 in the same period. If the steady downward trend in Windows 98's market share continues, the popularity of Linux will soon surpass that of Microsoft's outdated, nine-year-old Windows version.

[mnehring]

Windows 98 has finally fallen below the current Linux? My big question is why do people still run Windows 98?

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

This seems to be a stupid article.
Sort of like saying “New cars are more popular than model Ts!”

[Schnucki]

My big question is why was this excerpted?

[Crazieman]

I love how Linux has “always been just around the corner” for almost a decade.

[twntaipan]

I helped a friend replace a Win 98 system last week. She had no firewall, no anti-virus software and had never patched it. And she has Road Runner.

I guess I took one computer out of a botnet.

[r9etb]

Recent statistics released by W3Counter reveal that the market share of Windows 98 fell from 1.44 percent to 1.34 percent in August, reducing it to the same level of popularity as the open source Linux operating system, which saw its market share increase from 1.33 to 1.34 in the same period.

It's like comparing the neck-and-neck competetion between the Libertarian and Constitution parties....

[ikka]

That is desktop share, not server share, where Linux is much stronger.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Hah! You got me. I’d imagine that it simply comes down to ‘this is good enough’.

Or you have one single dark horse application somewhere that you can’t live without.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

hahaha, good point.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

that’s what I wanted to see. desktop share only.

[ShadowAce]

[Starter]

“My big question is why do people still run Windows 98?”

I know a few gamers with Win98 boxes that they use simply to play some of the old DOS/Windows 95 games that don’t work well in XP. I don’t think they’re 1% of the computer market though.

[N3WBI3]

Yea and this time might be no different but for the first time the two largest PC manufactures in the world sell Linux lines

[papasmurf]

I am very happy wiht my Ubutu Linux.

OTOH, my Brother just bought a new Acer with Vists Business.

Now, he’s looking for the best deal on WinXp Pro. LOL

I played with it. I don’t know why, but it just makes me think WinME, as I tool around in it.

[Riley]

My big question is why do people still run Windows 98?

Probably because it's functional enough for them, they're terrified that it might break and they can't fix it, and they have an aversion to learning something new when learning 9x was enough of a hurdle for them as it was.

I've met users like that. If you persuade them to change OSs, you will be at fault for their every frustration thereafter, forever and ever. It isn't worth it. I just wait for them to lose the orginal 9x CDs and have some sort of unfixable OS issue before I suggest that they give up the antiques.

[Varmint Al]

I have some old Finite Element Software that uses a memory manager and it will not work on a Windows XP system. It is exceptionally good software and I have to keep a Win 98SE computer for running it. Also the old Yamaha Audio mixer is the best sound I have heard and it will not install on Windows XP.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

[amchugh]

Because your hardware is too old to run anything more recent except maybe at a crawl?

[zeugma]

I have some old Finite Element Software that uses a memory manager and it will not work on a Windows XP system. It is exceptionally good software and I have to keep a Win 98SE computer for running it. Also the old Yamaha Audio mixer is the best sound I have heard and it will not install on Windows XP.

Have you tried running it in VMWare? You might download a 30-day trial version and try it out. It'll save you the trouble of dealing with hardware issues when your Win98 box finally decides to give up the ghost. :-) 

[sionnsar]

"My big question is why do people still run Windows 98?

I’d imagine that it simply comes down to ‘this is good enough’.
Or you have one single dark horse application somewhere that you can’t live without.

Bingo on both accounts! Last year every machine but one in the house was Win98. Now only one is.