why does ME suck?

Not trying to start anything contraversial, just want to know.

I have never used windows ME. I jumped from 98 straight to XP (although currently using win2k). From references and my own experience, win 98 was a decent operating system. Microsoft tried to improve on it in ME. What went wrong?

Basically (and very basically - so don't flame me for it!) MS needed something to throw out for the Millenium (and to cover while 2000 got sorted out), so the messed around with 98SE, added some stuff, and flogged it to an unsuspecting public. It was a pile of poo basically. Although some people did get it to run properly.....

98 -> XP is a good, but I prefer 2kpro over XP

RedDeathDrinker said:

98 -> XP is a good, but I prefer 2kpro over XP

Click to expand...

Now THAT you deserve to be flamed for
j/k

Technically I have no idea why ME is so bad. It was supposed to be 98SE with better memory optimization, better GUI, and integration between explorer and the internet.

Istead we got an OS that just seemed like it wanted to make my life a living nitemare. The defrag only worked on half the systems I tried it on.

My theory is that they didn't like the public being mad at them, so they decided a little payback was in order. Thus windows ME (Maximum Error).

I went throught all of them, 95--->98se--->2K--->Me--->XP pro.
Me was running great when I first installed it, then everything went wrong, and what was getting on my nerves the most was that I always had that damn warning coming up on my screen saying my system resource was low, eventhough I never had this problem with any other OS

MrMarbles said:

Now THAT you deserve to be flamed for
j/k

Click to expand...

or posting a thread titled "why does ME suck?"


hahaha

Than reminds me of a conversation I had with my friend over how bad Windows ME was.

He said "ME Sucks ****"
hahahahaha

/thread crap.

I actually think Win2k runs better on my system but I like all the pretty colors of WinXP <- actually im serious. lol

Because of this:

Quote from Blueacid's sig:

"Windows ME is basically 98, but more broken"

It just sucks. Plain and simple.

Microsoft had two choices for shedding the DOS based kernel of Windows after 98:

1. Go with a ground-up rebuild on an entirely different base. The products from this line of thought started with IBM's OS/2 and Microsoft's NT. This line has evolved into Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

2. Attempt to remove the DOS limitations from the Windows 95/98 kernel. The result of this line was Windows ME, but turned out to have limitations and problems of its own.

Windows CE
Windows ME
Windows NT

Microsoft is thinking about combing these technologies into a rock solid operating system. It is called

Windows CEMENT


Sorry, old lame joke

Prot said:

Windows CE
Windows ME
Windows NT

Microsoft is thinking about combing these technologies into a rock solid operating system. It is called

Windows CEMENT


Sorry, old lame joke

Click to expand...

Old, yes....lame? No.

I had a dedicated Folding rig once, running WinME.... I actually managed to get it to run for 2+ months w/o a reboot, and when I did, it was because I shut it down to dust it out, not from a BSOD or anything.

WinME works great, provided you don't use it.... Seriously, when I had ME on my main rig, I would have to reboot every day or so...it's a bloated POS that likes eating memory resources. It seemed like every 24/48 hours, things would get really sloooooow, and I'd look at the resources, and find I'd have like 30% (sometimes less...) memory resources available. I didn't have a ton of apps running in the background, either. A reboot would usually kick that right up to 80+% free, and it would dwindle down to nothing again as I used the machine over the course of the next day or so.

I'd take either W2000 Pro or XP Pro over the 9x/ME family. I've used all of them, and have never had any problems to speak of with the NT based platform (aside from the screwing the OS up by pushing an overclock to far...LOL ).

B.

Its bad because its Microsoft.

hey I know the problem with ME and that is because Windows sucks in all forms. the only reason I use windows is because the best games are only offered in windows format.... Linux rules!!!!!!!

Me was a bandaid fix for a problem MS was attempting to fix via WinXP.

When Win2000 was released, it was to be the great business OS. But microsoft wanted to push Win2k as a business only sorta deal, much like NT had been. They needed to release a home version, as Win98 was getting old.

The result was WinMe, basically Win98 with enhancements....or so they were called. This meant sweeping DOS under the carpet, installing all the drivers off the CD (which is kinda nice over Win98...no need to have the CD jsut to change network settings), and fluffing up the GUI.

The problem was that it was rushed out. It was also trying to make Win98 something it wasn't, but attempting to tweak a Win9x core to be more like NT.

I've got a few WinMe machines at work, and I've used it a few times at home. Most of the experiences have been horrid. However, I do have 1 installation of Me here (my last one infact) that has been functioning for over 2 years. It's not that great, but with maintenence, it's not so bad. (Also, do not expect 24/7 operation...use it, shut it down and go home, and it'll be "ok".)

The problem with Me was the marketing for it. I was sort of po'd that MS was touting Me as the OS for the next millenium and all that junk. They were making Me out to be an entirely new OS, when infact it was like a service pack and GUI skin for 98.

To those who didn't realize what Me was, they thought they were investing in the next big OS from microsoft. I wonder how many Joe Sixpacks were surprised when a year later XP is released.

For those who knew what Me was, it was expected that it would be like 98 but with fixes...that it would be faster, easier to use, and more stable. It was easier to use in the sense that you didn't need the CD as much to install network drivers, but that was it. It was not more reliable, and it was NOT faster.

Once XP was released, support for Me vanished. I feel sorry for those people stuck with Me...especially those with systems that could easily run Win2k. It just seems that Microsoft has pulled a DOS with WinMe and tried to sweep Me under the carpet!

The most annoying part of Me was when you'd get a peice of hardware that wouldn't work quite right win Win9x drivers. Some hardware pieces only worked right with specially made Me drivers. Most companies didn't do this, especailly with XP on the way. And now, how much new hardware will never really work with XP? Again, I feel sorry for thsoe stuck with Me who do not know better.

I agree with some of the above statemetns, in that I have actually sworn off the Win9x platform. There is no reason to stick with it, if you have a new system. I've only run across one program that didn't work with Win2k, and XP has even better compatibility. (Though how much is left for debate)

XP and 2k are stable, fast OS's. The only reason to keep Win98 around (and I'd use Win98SE) is for older stuff like K6-2's and before.

ME doesn't seem that bad to me. I'd say it's not for the computers of today and not the really old ones. I've seen ME on OEM systems worked awsome, laptops again awsome. The USB Support, power management is way better than 98SE right out of the box and the extras such as the native Digital camera,scanner support and System restorer is really a plus for the average user. We by we I mean most of us Power users don't like it because of its safety features blowing up in our face when we want to tweak it. It's a great OS for the average user who games and emails grandma on the weekend. I have a K6-2 500 that has been running 2 months without a hitch, I have applied a few tried and tested tweaks and installed a ram manager. Mom surfs the net and watches a few VCDs on it. Again this is what the average user would use it for.

The only good thing i remember i liked about ME,
was the recovery tool, that registry thing where you could go back in time to where ME was MAYBE working correctly

and it was funn forcing it to have true dos support
thru patching some files and whatnot. I actually thought i was learning something at the time..

and didnt ME also require that ancient k62 patch to work correctly
like 95 did with the athlon line of cpu's at the time?
seems like the more i reminisce about ME the more work it required and wasn't worth it..

hahaha oh yeah, i also witnessed someone who had no idea what they were doing get win2k installed and operational
on a decrepit pentium 133 with 16 megs of ram and a 4X cd rom.. now THAT was funny

I see
thanks everyone

Tebore said:

ME doesn't seem that bad to me. I'd say it's not for the computers of today and not the really old ones. I've seen ME on OEM systems worked awsome, laptops again awsome. The USB Support, power management is way better than 98SE right out of the box and the extras such as the native Digital camera,scanner support and System restorer is really a plus for the average user. We by we I mean most of us Power users don't like it because of its safety features blowing up in our face when we want to tweak it. It's a great OS for the average user who games and emails grandma on the weekend. I have a K6-2 500 that has been running 2 months without a hitch, I have applied a few tried and tested tweaks and installed a ram manager. Mom surfs the net and watches a few VCDs on it. Again this is what the average user would use it for.

Click to expand...

I for one would have to agree with you. I have 3 laptops and the office computer running ME. Untill recently my big machine had been running ME. I have had just the opposite experience than everyone else with ME. Instead I have had MAJOR problems with XP Pro, XP Home and 2K Pro. Still to this day XP Pro will not load on my office computer. I have tried everything I know how to do and all the suggestions from this fourm with no luck. Me works great on that computer with no major problems, running 24-7.

I got BSOD's at least four times each day. I just upgraded to 2kpro.

I second to that. My system restores had stopped working with a fresh set of patches. My sound then gave out, and I tried to uninstall the sound drivers, and ME would not let me!! ME also had corrupted my highpoint ATA 100 drivers to the point of no return, and I was not even overclocking the system.

Everytime I had opened up Internet Explorer, it would come up with a blue screen too!! As a last result, I cleaned the drive, and installed 98SE with all the latest updates, and everything worked perfectly. ME never again. XP/2000 ok..