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Windows98 Running in the Browser

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Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#231

Post by gsich »

0xffff2 wrote: post #210
izietto wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually I've never used Windows 2000, I went straight to Windows XP, whose UI was already too bloated (many colors, gradient buttons, ...)

But at least XP would let you switch back to Windows 2000 look and feel. The eye candy was just that, and easily removed. When Windows 7 rolled around I spent years being mad that it was no longer possible to have a Windows 2000 style UI in unmodified Windows. I recently set my desktop to the Windows 2000 default blue background color just for a bit of nostalgia. As far as I can tell, it's the only bit of Win 2000 UI…

There still was a "classic" theme.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#232

Post by dheera »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #74

Back when the system settings could be reached with less clicks, were organised in a logical way and didn't use most of the screen as white-space.

This webapp trapped my mouse inside the VM. How is that possible? I didn't realize you could trap the user's mouse with (HTML+JS)5.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#233

Post by mbesto »

rightbyte wrote: post #138

It's funny how I find Win98 more user friendly and logical than Win10. Just look at the start menu where thing are sorted in folders. No ads optimizations anywhere. Just an annoying shortcut on the desktop for MS Internet. Is it possible to make a program like the sheep.exe nowadays? It is awesome.

This is why I always install Classic Shell when I boot up a Win10 machine: http://classicshell.net/

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#234

Post by dheera »

rightbyte wrote: post #138

It's funny how I find Win98 more user friendly and logical than Win10. Just look at the start menu where thing are sorted in folders. No ads optimizations anywhere. Just an annoying shortcut on the desktop for MS Internet. Is it possible to make a program like the sheep.exe nowadays? It is awesome.

I think the biggest culprit here is the economy. Shareholders and investors don't like it when things just keep working like a well-oiled machine. It means their share price stays stagnant. They always want "more more more" and earnings, not stability and usability. So that pressures management to keep on finding ways of changing stuff for no real good reason even when they have already invented and reached the optimal UI. Search bars embedded in the window titlebar, start menus that change the order of things every time you click them, these all scream "we can't think of anything else, let's just change some stuff around".

A similar effect seems to happen even with e.g. Canonical and Ubuntu. Gnome2 had an awesome optimal UI and 90% of Linux users I know prefer that kind of no-BS UI but "management" wanted that Unity and Gnome3 nonsense just to make it look like they were making progress when they were really going leaps and bounds backwards in usability.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#235

Post by [deleted] »

tgb wrote: post #168
MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #74

Back when the system settings could be reached with less clicks, were organised in a logical way and didn't use most of the screen as white-space.

System settings were easiest in the Vista/7 era. Window Key+"sound" brought up sound settings, so you didn't need to know where they were placed in control panel. Now in Windows 10, doing the same brings up "Sound settings" which is a stripped-down settings bar barely more than a master volume setting. The actual sound settings are hidden in control panel, which doesn't come up when searching for 'sound'. This (broke…

[deleted]

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#236

Post by ralphc »

izietto wrote: post #102

To me, still the best UI/UX OS experience. That menu organization is just perfect. Everything is crystal clear about what is selected or not. No idea why the OS moved from this layout.

I have a Windows 98 machine I use almost daily, for games and as a "bridge" PC. The UI is just better than what we have now in modern Windows.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#237

Post by sizzle »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #74

Back when the system settings could be reached with less clicks, were organised in a logical way and didn't use most of the screen as white-space.

Apple's system settings layout remains largely unchanged and is a case study on usable design and function over form. It's a joy to use after experiencing Windows control panel hell and now metro/fabric UI with everything looking like a large rectangular solid color filled button.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#238

Post by gabagool »

mbesto wrote: post #233
rightbyte wrote: post #138

It's funny how I find Win98 more user friendly and logical than Win10. Just look at the start menu where thing are sorted in folders. No ads optimizations anywhere. Just an annoying shortcut on the desktop for MS Internet. Is it possible to make a program like the sheep.exe nowadays? It is awesome.

This is why I always install Classic Shell when I boot up a Win10 machine: http://classicshell.net/

FYI, Classic Shell is no longer under development: http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8147

However, there is now Open Shell Menu which was created to replace it: https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#239

Post by II2II »

Bjartr wrote: post #165
II2II wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the abandonware sites that I've seen are aware that it is illegal, will only post software that has not been sold or supported for a certain time frame (usually a decade), and deliberately avoid companies that are known to be hostile to the concept. If a product comes up for sale again, some sites will remove the software at their own initiative. While those self imposed criteria may be regarded as acts of se…

Honestly, the term "abandonware" applies to software that has been "abandoned" by companies or had the companies that own the IP go under without someone buying the assets. If a company is sending out cease & desists, it's not abandonware by definition.

> If a company is sending out cease & desists, it's not abandonware by definition.

True, but you cannot assume that it is abandonware if a cease & desist letter is not sent out. The rights holder may be unaware of the unauthorized distribution or the site maintainer may be unaware that the rights holder is still selling or supporting the product. While I have seen examples of games being pulled by abandonware sites at their own initiative, that is typically because these releases are higher profile. In the case of application and operating software it would be much more difficult to figure out since anything that is still being supported is probably going to be through obscure channels for legacy systems.

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