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Windows98 Running in the Browser

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Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#61

Post by II2II »

chungy wrote: post #17
orionblastar wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but it is no longer supported by Microsoft so it is abandonware. It is still closed source and piracy to copy without permission but Microsoft does not care about it because it is too old to sue over.

They've been known to send C&Ds to various sites that host old versions like this. "no longer supported" is a flimsy argument for abandonware anyway. by that reasoning, Windows 7 is abandonware and it still runs basically every Windows program ever.

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 self-preservation, I get the impression that some of the people who run these sites are more interested in software preservation. (In earlier times, many sites actively sought out permission to post software but it sounds like that became all but impossible for various reasons.)

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#62

Post by emilsedgh »

hyko wrote: post #58

Shame we're limited to 16 colors...miss those title bar gradients :D Was this the pinnacle of UI design, or is nostalgia clouding our judgment?

It was very usable. Performed incredibly well. And was boring as hell.

I think it's the latter issue that drove it to it's doom.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#63

Post by mongojunction »

This is really amazing and takes me back.

Very funny seeing it on such a small format in the top right corner.

Makes me think a "Windows 98" PWA on mobile would be super funny.

Unfortunately the windows sound wave file doesn't make any sound in the browser. I guess this is because a Soundcard or Speaker is not emulated.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#65

Post by WantonQuantum »

eggsome wrote: post #31
WantonQuantum wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. In 1997 I had a thinkpad running Windows 95 and I went weeks between reboots. It was rock solid.

There was a hard cap of around a month and a half: https://sites.google.com/site/edmarkovich2/whywindows95andwi...

That's interesting! I wonder if that was indeed what I was running into.

Re: Windows98 Running in the Browser

#69

Post by ptx »

hyko wrote: post #58

Shame we're limited to 16 colors...miss those title bar gradients :D Was this the pinnacle of UI design, or is nostalgia clouding our judgment?

I think the pinnacle must have been before the title bar gradients were added. They always annoyed me: is the title bar any less of a title bar towards the right? No? Then why does it fade out?
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