Hi Azure,
Re upgrading your old machine to XP or not. I've always thought that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a good adage to keep in mind with computers. It's your choice, but if you don't need XP, and are perfectly happy with a working machine doing what you want with W98, then I'd leave well alone.
As for opening files, what do have problems with? I'm almost certain that some 3rd party software will do the job. I use 98 first edition, and it does everything I need. I've never once thought about upgrading to XP. Admittedly for most home users it's more stable, but a few tweaks here and there and W98 is just as good.. and prettier. (What's with the tellytubby hill wallpaper anyway!!!???)
As for the new machine, I still don't see exactly what you mean by "toast" except for the reference to the warranty. Does the new machine work at all, or is it just the CDR, or something else? There's enough people here that can help get it running for you if it's not completely headed for the landfill site yet. Who needs warranties anyway? They charge you three times what it would cost to fix most problems anyway.. so unless it goes wrong three or more times, you'll just be out of pocket..
Just a cynic at heart..
Hi Richard,
[to run XP] you want at least 256Mb and the sweet spot is 512mb of RAM
So do you think that my W98+ machine having 786mb is slight overkill..
Cheers
Liam