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With the release of Windows 98 due June 25, federal information systems managers face a critical question: Is it worth the money and effort to upgrade? An upgrade to Windows 98 from Windows 95 costs $89 at its list price or $aog off the shelf. Pricing on the General Services Administration schedule will be lower, but it was not available at press time.
Our review of the shipping code shows that it is a tweaking of Windows 95 rather than a major
new version of Windows. On the plus side, Windows 98 is surprisingly stable, easy to install and easy to use. Even better, users running Windows 95 and Internet Explorer 4.0 will find the interface is virtually unchanged and, therefore, requires no retraining. Also, Windows 98 offers a number of under-the-hood features that will make life easier for systems administrators.
But is it worth the money? It depends.
If you're setting up new computers - and if you do not have the resources or need to install the more robust and expensive Windows NT - Windows 98 clearly is a better choice than Windows 95.
If, on the other hand, you have Windows 95 systems, you probably do not need to upgrade them to Windows 98 because the most significant new features -- Internet Explorer 4.0 and Active Desktop - already are available for download at no charge. However, only Windows...