Windows ME. What is it? An upgrade of 98SE? When was it released, and why was XP released so soon after? To fix all the stuff that was wrong?

ME (Millenium Edition) is an upgrade to the Windows 9X product line. Windows XP is an upgrade to the Windows NT Product line.

The two products are not from the same 'family'.

Product Timeline:

Windows 3.1 -> 95 -> 98 -> 98SE -> ME (This product line runs on top of a real-mode Disk Operating system)

Windows NT 3.54 -> NT 4.0 -> 2000 -> XP (This product line runs a native kernel, similar to MacOS)

Begining with Windows 2000, Microsoft has been trying to take the stable NT Kernel based OS and integrate the video game, directx, and multi-media features of the 9X product line. 2000 was only mildly successful in that sence (many games still do not run on 2000) however it still took hold due to the overwhelming stability of the NT structure.

XP leveraged that into an OS with even more multi-media and video game capabilities. All games wrote for 2000 run in XP, along with many games written for the 9X line. XP is essentially a minor revision of the Windows 2000 product. With over 70% of the code is identical to Windows 2000.



HTH

ME was a Marketing Extortion attempt to squeeze more money out of people

Wow. I didn't know that XP was from the NT line... I thought that 2000 was the latest. So, a few questions:

XP is the stability of NT with some of the other "abilities" of the DOS based windows?

Are they going to continue down the other path with another 9X/ME OS?

Is ME still running "over" DOS? What was the last OS that actually did that?

Originally posted by PFDarkside
XP is the stability of NT with some of the other "abilities" of the DOS based windows?

Its Windows 2000, with software code to support some additional backwards compatibility of 9X via emulation. Additionally it contains some new features, all of which can be optionally turned off, Redesigned GUI, Internal FireWall, etc.

Originally posted by PFDarkside
Are they going to continue down the other path with another 9X/ME OS?

I do not have a definative answer, however all signs point to no. The next product to place its footprint in that of the 9X line will be a rendition of XP Home edition. Essentially that was XP Home editions ultimate goal.

Originally posted by PFDarkside
Is ME still running "over" DOS? What was the last OS that actually did that?

Yes, Windows ME.