Re: Quantative Measure of People Still Using 98?
Show me where those statistics are publicly displayed, please.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com
"Smith" <smith@no-spam.com> wrote in message
news:%233K%23KUDBJHA.524@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> This presents a legitimate question for software developers
> updating their programs.
>
> To my recollection, the last 98 computer was sold in 2001. That
> would make the last sold computer seven years old. You would
> think that the number of such systems still around would be near
> zero.
>
> Yet, anecdotally, lots of 98 users seem to be around. They speak
> up on newsgroups and forums. They still seem to like their
> systems and boast of not changing their operating systems. Still
> having a ten year old operating system does reflect some
> sophistication of computer skills.
>
> I have long wondered if there is any reliable quantitative
> measure of continuing 98 users. Various measures surface from
> time to time most all of which seem to raise doubts of the
> accuracy of the numbers and the interests of who is publishing
> them. The question of what portion of the universe the numbers
> reflect always seems problematic.
>
> I recently came across a measure, that while hardly perfect,
> appears to be objective, not subject to anyone's special
> influence, and relevant to the issue.
>
> I found on the Guliverkli2 site counts of downloads of win98
> files and winxp versions at
> https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=205650&pac
> kage_id=246121&release_id=541232 and
> https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=205650&pac
> kage_id=245753&release_id=540363
>
> While the absolute numbers might be problematic, the proportion
> of win 98 to win xp users would seem to be significant as an
> approximate measure of a continuing 98 user base for purposes of
> software developers of similar programs.
>
> The first program was Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1. This is an
> excellent program that puts its developers in the software hall
> of fame. It plays lots of files well. The download counts are
>
> 98 15,417 (12%)
> xp 100,239 (88%)
>
> There is nothing special about this program for 98. Other
> similar programs, zoom player and vlc player, too run on 98.
>
>
>
> The other page was for directvobsub. The numbers were
>
> 98 2,053 (24%)
> xp 6,568 (76%)
>
>
> The fact that 12% of the persons downloading the win 98 version
> of the program, a OS version not sold commercially in seven
> years, would indicate a still significant base of sophisticated
> users keeping their software current consistent with the number
> of 98 users raising their voice on news groups and forums.
>
> This would contradict the claim heard from the Pacific Northwest
> that no one uses 98 any more.