Lucius,
Though I understand the reason for your belief, Win95 & Win98 are actually operating systems. While they do have the capability of using real mode DOS for compatibility with device drivers, etc., both products have complete, protected mode file systems, device driver models, and kernels. They do not need to use the real mode DOS support for basic operating system functionality. They do rely on 16 bit, protected mode code due to their compatibility requirements and heritage as evolutions of Windows 3.x products, but they are, technically, operating systems.
I agree with you that NT 5 will mark the beginning of a move away from Windows 95/98. Right now, I think Win9x still provides much easier installation, usability, and more features for typical end users.
Thanks,
Mike |
