Stick with 98SE for your sanity's sake.
ME has precious few advantages and many disadvantages - driver problems with non M$ approved hardware and general unhappiness with any apps not written by or with the express blessing of M$.
"No wise man would quit a certainty for an uncertainty" (Dr. Johnson)
M$ will never be content until it has eliminated every other O/S and software company. One day your A/C will have M$ software.