Microsoft Ships Windows 98

In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone after years of speculation and months of announced dates, Microsoft today started selling copies of Windows 98. The reaction is significantly more subdued than that enjoyed by Windows 95 three years ago, due to the company’s legal troubles, a marketing budget that’s reportedly far smaller than that which launched Windows 95, and a lack of major new improvements. Our PC analyst friends have been universally underwhelmed with Windows 98, recommending against upgrading a working Windows 95 system and noting that initially Windows 98 will be used primarily by those who buy new PCs.