Windows 98

Windows 98 is a consumer-oriented <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> developed by <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> as part of its <a href="/facts/Windows_9x/f1zwlghw">Windows 9x</a> family of <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> operating systems. It was the second operating system in the 9x line, as the successor to <a href="/facts/Windows_95/1E1L93qC">Windows 95</a>. It was <a href="/facts/Software_release_life_cycle/z4Q4RElA">released to manufacturing</a> on May 15, 1998, and generally to retail on June 25, 1998. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid <a href="/facts/16-bit_computing/bTGS44Ne">16-bit</a> and <a href="/facts/32-bit_application/TDMVce8s">32-bit</a> monolithic product with the <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">boot stage</a> based on <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a>.
Windows 98 is <a href="/facts/World_Wide_Web/wvnTrWFq">web</a>-integrated and bears numerous similarities to its predecessor. Most of its improvements were cosmetic or designed to improve the user experience, but there were also a handful of features introduced to enhance system functionality and capabilities, including improved <a href="/facts/USB/XcIKWLyg">USB</a> support and accessibility, and support for hardware advancements such as <a href="/facts/DVD/7fJsHJrN">DVD</a> players. Windows 98 was the first edition of Windows to adopt the <a href="/facts/Windows_Driver_Model/uY5sVh84">Windows Driver Model</a>, and introduced features that would become standard in future generations of Windows, such as <a href="/facts/Disk_Cleanup/xcVfntFg">Disk Cleanup</a>, <a href="/facts/Windows_Update/haRj8fsq">Windows Update</a>, <a href="/facts/Multi-monitor/KnL7NhG0">multi-monitor</a> support, and <a href="/facts/Internet_Connection_Sharing/nzQkIkGF">Internet Connection Sharing</a>.
Microsoft had marketed Windows 98 as a "tune-up" to Windows 95, rather than an entirely improved next generation of Windows. Upon release, Windows 98 was generally well-received for its web-integrated interface and ease of use, as well as its addressing of issues present in Windows 95, although some pointed out that it was not significantly more stable than Windows 95. In 2003 Windows 98 had approximately 58 million users. It saw one major update, known as Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), released on June 10, 1999. After the release of its successor, <a href="/facts/Windows_Me/fjENFRNa">Windows Me</a> in 2000, mainstream support for Windows 98 and 98 SE ended on June 30, 2002, followed by extended support on July 11, 2006 along with Windows Me's end of extended support.

Windows 98 open-in-new

Windows 98