Quantative Measure of People Still Using 98?

Smith wrote:

> This presents a legitimate question for software developers
> updating their programs.

http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php

1 Windows XP 77.16%
2 Windows Vista 8.88%
3 Mac OS X 4.58%
4 Windows 2000 2.86%
5 Linux 1.91%
6 Windows 98 0.86%
7 Windows 2003 0.73%
8 Windows ME 0.32%
9 SymbianOS 0.05%
10 Windows NT 0.04%

Records seem to go back only to May 2007. Win-98 fell below 1% usage in
April 2008.

This page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_desktop_operating_systems

lists several sources and puts current 98 usage at anywhere from 0.4% to
0.9% (as above).

This page:

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

is putting 98 share at 0.2%, which I doubt is that low. Historically
for the last few years, win-98 useage seems to be about 1/3 of win-2k
usage (which is currently about 2.8%).

A big deal was made (by some) when Linux usage had tied with Win-98 at
1.34%, which seemed to happen last September.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:37:08 +0930, "gibson" <guitar DeleteThis @fretwork.com>
wrote:

>
>> There is nothing special about this program for 98. Other
>> similar programs, zoom player and vlc player, too run on 98.
>>
>
>that may be so smithy,, but i d/loaded vlc player using 98se and Still cant get it to work!
>something about an 'error' and 'file missing' blah blah...
>if you got any tips on how to make it work, i'm all fingers and toes... (ears)
>
>5strings (one short)
Last vlc for win98 was 0.8.6.a
Later ones crash. There is a work-around, but it crashes every
time you update. (It did for me , anyway)
Good Luck
>

98 Guy <98.TakeThisOut@Guy.com> wrote in news:48AF8757.1F5A0830@Guy.com:

> Smith wrote:
>
>> This presents a legitimate question for software
>> developers updating their programs.
>
> http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php
>
> 1 Windows XP 77.16%
> 2 Windows Vista 8.88%
> 3 Mac OS X 4.58%
> 4 Windows 2000 2.86%
> 5 Linux 1.91%
> 6 Windows 98 0.86%
> 7 Windows 2003 0.73%
> 8 Windows ME 0.32%
> 9 SymbianOS 0.05%
> 10 Windows NT 0.04%
>
> Records seem to go back only to May 2007. Win-98 fell
> below 1% usage in April 2008.
>
> This page:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_desktop_operatin
> g_systems
>
> lists several sources and puts current 98 usage at anywhere
> from 0.4% to 0.9% (as above).
>
> This page:
>
> http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
>
> is putting 98 share at 0.2%, which I doubt is that low.
> Historically for the last few years, win-98 useage seems to
> be about 1/3 of win-2k usage (which is currently about
> 2.8%).
>
> A big deal was made (by some) when Linux usage had tied
> with Win-98 at 1.34%, which seemed to happen last
> September.
>

HEY! I am using 95B goddamit! Iknow there's only about 30 of us,
but don't we rate even a .003%?

--
[from a recent conversation]
thanatoid: So why did you decide you needed broadband?
Neighbor: I wanted to read my e-mail faster.

98 Guy <98 DeleteThis @Guy.com> wrote in news:48AF8757.1F5A0830@Guy.com:

> TSmith wrote:
>
>> This presents a legitimate question for software
>> developers updating their programs.
>
> http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php
>
> 1 Windows XP 77.16%
> 2 Windows Vista 8.88%
> 3 Mac OS X 4.58%
> 4 Windows 2000 2.86%
> 5 Linux 1.91%
> 6 Windows 98 0.86%
> 7 Windows 2003 0.73%
> 8 Windows ME 0.32%
> 9 SymbianOS 0.05%
> 10 Windows NT 0.04%
>
> Records seem to go back only to May 2007. Win-98 fell
> below 1% usage in April 2008.
>
> This page:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_desktop_operatin
> g_systems
>
> lists several sources and puts current 98 usage at anywhere
> from 0.4% to 0.9% (as above).
>
> This page:
>
> http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
>
> is putting 98 share at 0.2%, which I doubt is that low.
> Historically for the last few years, win-98 useage seems to
> be about 1/3 of win-2k usage (which is currently about
> 2.8%).
>
> A big deal was made (by some) when Linux usage had tied
> with Win-98 at 1.34%, which seemed to happen last
> September.

The data look contradictory to me.

All of the general win 98 numbers raise questions of where their
numbers came from and what universe are they including in the
numbers, exactly how did they are determining the operating
system, and did they validate their procedures for so
determining.

They also raise the question of for what purpose were they making
their measurement.

Some independent software developers, such as those of Media
Player Classic and other such programs. are asking if they should
continue to include win 98 support in their programs. For that
determination the relevant universe is people who use or might
use their software, which is a small subset of all users one
might find in internet logs.

Full-Quoter Smith wrote:

> > Windows 98 0.86%

> > ... current 98 usage at anywhere from 0.4% to 0.9% (as above).
> > ... is putting 98 share at 0.2%, which I doubt is that low.
>
> The data look contradictory to me.

I don't think it looks contradictory at all.

A range of .2% to .9% is not contradictory.

It just reflects that measurement variability will increase as the
population goes down.

> All of the general win 98 numbers raise questions of where
> their numbers came from and ...

These numbers come from various web-metrics companies who have their
counters linked in from a few thousand web pages. The numbers will be
highly dependent on the nature of those web pages and the viewership
they attract.

> what universe are they including in the numbers,

They are including the metrics of the web-pages that reference their
counter mechanisms.

> exactly how did they are determining the operating system,

It's part of the browser referer line that's sent to the web server as
part of retrieving the desired web page.

> and did they validate their procedures for so determining.

Since they usually charge a website owner for their metrics measurement
services, I would presume that they can show the client an example of
their validation proceedure. Also note that this is not rocket science
and these metrics are very easy to obtain.

> They also raise the question of for what purpose were they
> making their measurement.

As I said above, these companies offer web-traffic measurement services
to website and domain owners so that the owners can gauge the popularity
of their site, to know where (geographically, based in IP address) their
viewers come from, and to know more mundane details like what browser
and OS the viewers are using. This information can be used to determine
advertizing rates on the websites in question.

Since it's usually not that important for a website or domain owner to
know the browser and OS of their viewers, those metrics have little
value hence they tend to be made availble for free by the companies
performing the measurements.

Presumably the best source of data would be from domains such as
google.com, yahoo.com, msn.com, etc. Seeing the referrer stats from
those domains would be very accurate as far as knowing the true numbers
of the various OS's and browsers currently in use. Unquestionably the
owners of those domains know full well the distribution of OS's
currently in use.

> Some independent software developers, such as those of Media
> Player Classic and other such programs. are asking if they
> should continue to include win 98 support in their programs.

I think the fault with win-98 compatibility lies with the installation
software. InstallShield doesn't necessarily make it easy to maintain
backward compatibility with older OS's, or developers don't configure
installshield properly for their software to install on older platforms.

I didn't think that Media Player Classic was still available (or being
developed) due to pressure from the DVD consortium.

Man, you do have the talent, <g>.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"Smith" <smith.TakeThisOut@smith.com> wrote in message
news:%23KyT%23$QBJHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> 98 Guy <98.TakeThisOut@Guy.com> wrote in news:48AF8757.1F5A0830@Guy.com:
>
>> TSmith wrote:
>>
>>> This presents a legitimate question for software
>>> developers updating their programs.
>>
>> http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php
>>
>> 1 Windows XP 77.16%
>> 2 Windows Vista 8.88%
>> 3 Mac OS X 4.58%
>> 4 Windows 2000 2.86%
>> 5 Linux 1.91%
>> 6 Windows 98 0.86%
>> 7 Windows 2003 0.73%
>> 8 Windows ME 0.32%
>> 9 SymbianOS 0.05%
>> 10 Windows NT 0.04%
>>
>> Records seem to go back only to May 2007. Win-98 fell
>> below 1% usage in April 2008.
>>
>> This page:
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_desktop_operatin
>> g_systems
>>
>> lists several sources and puts current 98 usage at anywhere
>> from 0.4% to 0.9% (as above).
>>
>> This page:
>>
>> http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
>>
>> is putting 98 share at 0.2%, which I doubt is that low.
>> Historically for the last few years, win-98 useage seems to
>> be about 1/3 of win-2k usage (which is currently about
>> 2.8%).
>>
>> A big deal was made (by some) when Linux usage had tied
>> with Win-98 at 1.34%, which seemed to happen last
>> September.
>
> The data look contradictory to me.
>
> All of the general win 98 numbers raise questions of where their
> numbers came from and what universe are they including in the
> numbers, exactly how did they are determining the operating
> system, and did they validate their procedures for so
> determining.
>
> They also raise the question of for what purpose were they making
> their measurement.
>
> Some independent software developers, such as those of Media
> Player Classic and other such programs. are asking if they should
> continue to include win 98 support in their programs. For that
> determination the relevant universe is people who use or might
> use their software, which is a small subset of all users one
> might find in internet logs.