This chapter provides a quick tour of Windows 98, giving you an overview of Windows 98's new features and capabilities. The chapter takes a comprehensive viewpoint, exploring features in Windows 95 that carry through to the Windows 98 upgrade. The chapter covers the following topics:
Significant in Windows 98's difference from Windows 95 is the active desktop, which merges Internet connectivity with the Windows 98 desktop. The following section gives you a brief look at only the most prominent features of the new interface, including the active desktop. All aspects of the Windows 98 interface are covered in detail in Chapters 6, "Using Windows 98," and 7, "Managing Files and Folders."
Windows 98 provides several enhancements to existing features and also adds several significant new features. This section of the chapter provides a brief overview of these new features. Later chapters explore these features in detail.
NOTE: Some of the features in Windows 98 were added to Windows 95 with the OSR/2 release, available only from OEM computer manufacturers with a new PC. Inside Windows 98 treats these features as new in Windows 98 because many Windows 95 users do not have the OSR/2 version of Windows 95. In addition, some features were added through Internet Explorer 4, and these features are treated as new in Windows 98 as well.
Windows 98 includes several features to improve reliability and increase performance. The following sections describe these features.
Windows 98 includes an updated Backup program that provides all the same features as the Windows 95 version and adds support for small computer system interface (SCSI) tape drives. Interface changes to the Backup utility make it easier to select, back up, and restore files. Wizards, for example, automate the process of selecting and backing up files.
Windows 98 incorporates various changes to the Setup process that simplify upgrading to Windows 98. For example, when you upgrade Windows 95 to Windows 98, Setup retains all of the existing settings from the current installation, requiring very little interaction with the user. Windows 98 also gives you the option during installation to back up your Windows 95 files, enabling you to restore your Windows 95 installation if necessary (but only if you choose this option during setup).
Windows 98 Setup also handles file version conflicts differently from Windows 95. With Windows 95, when a file being copied to the system has a lower version number than the existing file (indicating that it is older than the existing file), Windows 95 prompts you to specify whether to keep the existing file or overwrite it. Windows 98 replaces the file without prompting you, but archives the old file in the \Windows\VCM folder. The Version Conflict Manager, a Windows 98 utility, provides a means for reviewing and restoring archived files.
Another change in Setup is that Windows 98 adds a real mode ATAPI CD-ROM driver to the Emergency Boot Disk (EBD), which makes your system's CD-ROM drive(s) available when the system is booted from the EBD. Although the driver is not guaranteed to work with all CD-ROM drives, it will work with most, and is primarily intended as an alternative when the real mode drivers supplied with your CD-ROM drive are for some reason unavailable. Windows 98 also includes support for SCSI devices on the EBD.
Included with Windows 98 are two additional accessibility tools to assist users with special needs. The Accessibility Configuration Wizard helps users configure their systems to best suit their needs. Another feature is a low-end screen magnifier, which assists users who have moderate vision impairments.
Most PC users familiar with Windows 95 will agree that its shutdown time can be lengthy. Some systems never reach the point where the message appears indicating that the computer can be turned off safely. Windows 98's shutdown time is considerably improved. In fact, shutdown on most systems takes only a few seconds.
Windows 98 includes several new features that provided new or expanded multimedia support and functionality. The following sections briefly explore these features.
Windows 98 now supports multiple display adapters, enabling you to split your display output among various monitors. Users of computer aided design (CAD) programs, for example, can benefit from using multiple displays. The program's drawing window can be maximized on one monitor, and command windows, toolbars, and other CAD program elements can be displayed on another monitor.
To use Windows 98's multiple display support, you must have two (or more) PCI video adapters installed in the system and a monitor for each adapter.
Windows 98 includes several features that were made available to Windows 95 users through the Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 add-on product as well as Microsoft Power Toys, a set of utilities written by Microsoft programmers for Windows 95 but not officially supported by Microsoft. Windows 98 adds other display features, including the capability to specify adapter refresh rate for those adapters that support it, the Display Adapter Performance slider control on the Display property sheet, and hardware panning for lower resolution displays.
Windows 98 also includes other features formerly included with the Plus! add-on, including full-window dragging and font smoothing. With full- window dragging turned on, the entire contents of a window graphically drag onto the display rather than just the outline of the window, as is the default behavior in Windows 95. Font smoothing provides smoother-looking display fonts, making the display appear to have a higher resolution and better image quality.
Windows 98 includes some new features that support the burgeoning integration of broadcast television with the Internet. Windows 98 provides support for broadcast-enabled computers, which essentially are computers that contain circuitry to enable them to receive television signals. Broadcast architecture enhancements to Windows 98 include the capability to view television programming from cable, air, or satellite reception and to receive data broadcasts. For at least the short term, the broadcast components in Windows 98 will have limited use until broadcast-enabled computers become readily available.
Windows 98 includes support of several new hardware technologies. These include the universal serial bus (USB) and IEEE1394 specification for serial devices. Both USB and IEEE1394 provide for high-speed connection of multiple peripherals to a PC.
Windows 98 also supports accelerated graphics port (AGP) devices, advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI), Digital Video Disk (DVD), and infrared devices. Perhaps most significant is Windows 98's support of the multimedia enhancements in the Pentium MMX processors from Intel.
Windows 98 provides a few key improvements to the file system. By far the most important new feature is the integration of FAT32, as explained in the following section.
FAT32 and FAT32 Conversion Utility
The file system used on DOS and Windows 3.x systems, referred to generically as the FAT (file allocation table) file system, is still supported by Windows 95 and Windows 98. This file system uses a 16-bit FAT to store folder and file information. Using a 16-bit FAT imposes a limitation on the size of the file system and offers other disadvantages explained in Chapter 14, "Disk and File System Overview."
The OSR/2 release of Windows 95 added support for a new 32-bit FAT appropriately called FAT32. In addition to enabling a much larger file system, FAT32 offers redundancy through a change in the structure of the FAT. The only situation in which FAT32 is not a good choice is in a system containing other operating systems, such as DOS, that do not support FAT32 volumes. Such operating systems cannot read information stored in a FAT32 volume.
Windows 98 integrates FAT32 support and also provides a FAT32 conversion utility that enables you to convert a FAT16 volume to a FAT32 volume without repartitioning or reformatting the drive. This enables you to retain your existing file set while also gaining the advantages offered by a FAT32 file system.
The Disk Defragmenter Optimization Wizard automates defragmentation to optimize your hard disk's performance. The Wizard maintains a log file to determine your most commonly used programs. The Defragmenter then can use this log file to place in the same contiguous disk area all of the files associated with a particular program. Placing these files in a contiguous area of the disk speeds access to the files and improves program performance.
Shutting down both Windows 95 and Windows 98 improperly--for example, simply turning off the computer--can result in hard-disk errors and even lost data. If Windows 98 terminates improperly, ScanDisk automatically runs at the next boot to scan for disk errors. This behavior is much like that of Windows NT and UNIX, which both test and repair the file system at each boot after an improper shutdown. Naturally, Windows 98's disk testing at boot is not as comprehensive as that of Windows NT or UNIX.
Windows 98 includes a few new features that are best classified under the heading of usability improvements. These improvements are explored in the following sections.
Power management has been expanded and enhanced in Windows 98 to support revised power management standards as well as new technology. Windows 98 supports the ACPI, an open standard developed through the cooperation of Microsoft, Intel, and Toshiba. ACPI provides a standard for power management that functions across vendor and product lines. Windows 98 also supports Advanced Power Management 1.2 extensions and includes the capability to power down a disk when it is not in use, power down PC card modems, and resume functionality of a modem with an incoming call. Windows 98 also enables you to store power management settings collectively by name.
Microsoft offered an add-on to Windows 95 that enabled a computer running Windows 95 and Dial-Up Networking to function as a remote access server (Dial-Up Networking server). This capability, which is now included in Windows 98, enables users to dial into a computer to use its resources (disks, printers, and such) and also gain access to other computers onto which the Dial-Up Networking server is connected via local area network (LAN).
Included in Windows 98 are several enhancements to PC card technology (formerly referred to as PCMCIA). These include support for PC Card32 (Cardbus), which integrates 32-bit performance in the PC card form factor. Support for 32-bit PC card devices enables notebook computers to take advantage of high-performance PC cards for video capture, 100 Mbps network access, and other data-intensive applications.
Windows 98 also offers support for 3.3 volt PC card devices. The previous standard has been 5 volts, and the reduction in voltage enables better power management and longer battery life when running the notebook on battery power.
Also included in Windows 98 is native support for multifunction PC cards that support two functions with a single PC card device. For example, several cards are available that integrate a modem and network adapter on a single card. Other cards combine a SCSI host adapter and sound card. Integrating multiple devices on a single card makes it possible for the PC to use more devices in the limited number of PC card slots available (typically two).
One of the most significant areas of improvement in Windows 98 is its integration of Internet connectivity with the user interface and desktop. The following sections explore this area and related features.
Windows 98 incorporates the Internet Explorer browser interface with the desktop interface, making the Internet an extension of the desktop and vice versa. The integrated Internet shell provides a unified interface for browsing local resources such as local and network disks as well as Internet resources such as Web sites. Bringing these resources together under one interface eliminates the need for novice users to learn different user interfaces for accessing these different types of resources. Figure 1.1 shows a folder window on a system configured to use the integrated shell. Each of the items in the folder acts like a hyperlink in that clicking once on the item opens it. You also can browse a folder structure using Back and Forward buttons, just as you do when browsing Web pages on the Internet.
FIGURE 1.1 Windows 98 integrates a single unified interface for browsing local resources and Internet resources.
An important Dial-Up Networking improvement is Windows 98's support for multilink channel aggregation. This new feature enables Dial-Up Networking to combine multiple dial-up lines and modems into a single collective connection to achieve higher transfer speeds. You might, for example, combine two 33.6 analog modem lines to effectively give you the equivalent of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection. Or you can combine two ISDN lines to achieve transfer speeds of up to 128 KB.
Dial-Up Networking in Windows 98 also includes the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), which enables you to establish a secure connection to a LAN through the Internet. This enables you, for example, to connect to your company LAN securely and use its resources while you are dialed into your local Internet service provider.
If you've been using Internet Explorer as your Internet Web browser, you'll be pleased with the interface and functional improvements in Internet Explorer 4.0 included with Windows 98. Several features such as AutoComplete (which automatically completes uniform resource locator [URL] addresses for you), better printing support, navigation history on the Forward/Back buttons, and other small improvements make Internet Explorer easier to use. Internet Explorer 4.0 also extends its support of industry standards for Web services including Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Java, ActiveX, JavaScript, Visual Basic Scripting, and security.
Windows 98 also provides a mechanism to enable you to schedule downloads of specific information from the Internet, including accessing Web sites and retrieving the information contained on them without your intervention.
Windows 98 comes with a suite of programs that complement Microsoft's Internet Explorer. These programs include Outlook Express, an integrated mail and news reader; Microsoft NetMeeting, which provides Internet-based desktop conferencing for audio, data, and video; and Personal Web Server, which enables you to use your Windows 98 computer as an Internet or intranet server.
Windows 98 includes several features geared primarily toward business users and systems administrators, but many of these functions are useful for all Windows 98 users, including those who use Windows 98 in the home or in a small business. The following sections explore these features.
Windows System Update is an ActiveX control that scans your computer's hardware and software and then compares that information to an online database to determine whether your system is using the most up-to-date drivers and other operating system components. The Windows System Update service can automatically download and install these new drivers and components to ensure that your Windows 98 installation is always as up-to-date as possible. The service includes a rollback feature that can remove a newly added component and restore the previous copy if problems occur after the update.
The System File Checker provides a means of easily verifying that the Windows 98 system files (such as virtual device drivers, dynamic link libraries, Help files) have not been modified or corrupted. The System File Checker also can repair or replace these files if they have changed or become corrupted.
The Windows Tune-Up Wizard is intended to make it easier for you to perform routine maintenance on your computer. Maintenance tasks include optimizing your hard disk (Defragmenter), scanning the hard disk (ScanDisk), and deleting unused files. The Tune-Up Wizard provides an interface for scheduling these tasks to happen automatically at the times and frequencies you specify.
The System Troubleshooter provides an interface for setting startup and troubleshooting options and creating backups of your system's configuration files. The System Troubleshooter is very helpful in enabling you to troubleshoot startup and other configuration problems.
The System Information Utility provides a considerable amount of system configuration information within a common interface. Use the System Information Utility to find configuration information about your computer such as IRQ, DMA, and other hardware settings; available resources; available memory; and so forth. You can use this information to help you troubleshoot problems with your computer or to simply learn more about your computer's performance and capabilities.
The Windows Scripting Host (WSH) is a set of two programs that provide scripting capability for the Windows 98 command line and Windows 98 graphical interface. You can use WSH to automate nearly any interface action including connecting to network resources, creating shortcuts, working within application windows, and much more. In effect, WSH provides a means for automating actions within the Windows 98 environment.
The following visual tour of Windows 98 points out some of the most prominent features new to Windows 98. These and other features are covered elsewhere in this book.
Figure 1.2 shows the Windows 98 interface, including the desktop, the Start button, the Taskbar (with custom Quick Start items), and the Channel bar. You can customize each of these items to add commands and access to applications.
FIGURE 1.2 Core features of the Windows 98 interface are the desktop, Taskbar, and Start menu.
The My Computer folder gives you quick access to your entire PC as well as to the Control Panel folder, Printers folder, and Dial-Up Networking folder (see Figure 1.3). This organizes all your PC's resources, whether local or remote, into a single folder.
FIGURE 1.3 My Computer displays all your PC's resources in a single folder.
Just as the My Computer folder organizes all of your local resources into a single folder, the Network Neighborhood folder provides quick access to the entire network (see Figure 1.4). The Network Neighborhood folder contains icons for all the PCs in your workgroup. Clicking on a computer's icon displays icons for all of the resources, including printers, that the computer is sharing. You also can choose the Entire Network icon to access network resources located on PCs in other workgroups.
FIGURE 1.4 The Network Neighborhood folder gives you quick access to all network resources.
You can customize the Taskbar, controlling the way it appears on the desktop. You also can add commands to the Start menu to provide quick access to applications and documents. In addition, you can add items to the Quick Start menu and create other custom toolbars that can reside on the Taskbar or float on the desktop (see Figure 1.5).
FIGURE 1.5 You can create your own custom toolbars.
Windows 98's Explorer is tightly integrated into the Windows interface (see Figure 1.6). Explorer gives you a view of all your PC's resources, making it easy to manage files, start applications, open documents, and perform other common tasks.
FIGURE 1.6 Many characteristics of Explorer carry over to folder windows.
Enabling the Web-style view on your system causes the Windows 98 interface and objects contained therein to function much like objects in a Web browser. Rather than double-clicking on items to open them, for example, the objects act like hyperlinks and open when you click only once on them. The folder windows also contain forward and back buttons that behave just like the forward and back buttons on the Internet Explorer window. You can use these buttons to move forward and back through the file system, drilling up or down through directories as desired. Another nice feature, particularly for users with direct Internet connections, is the capability to apply a Web page as the computer's wallpaper (see Figure 1.7).
FIGURE 1.7 You can apply any Web page, whether local or on the Internet, as your wallpaper.
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