Telephone survey: Windows 98 - Does anyone care?

Richard Barry ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 15 May 1998 06:00 BST

The reaction from the industry and the general public seems to be one of apathy rather than concern.

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Dan Kusnetsky, program director for operating environments including Windows 98 - IDC

We've done extensive research into Windows 98 and basically we've seen that large organisations are ready to wait up to two years before moving to what is a relatively unimportant release for the corporate community. Smaller organisations may move within six months.

That said, for large and medium companies the delay, whether it be for a month or just a week, would make no difference to them.

It is the system vendors, such as IBM, Compaq and Dell who will feel the delay because they need Windows 98 to drive new technology.

I don't think anyone is going to be too upset about this - except Mr Gates of course.

Dave Pritchard, general manager - Fujitsu Computers

"I'm not surprised it has happened. Corporates have been doing a long evaluation on Windows 98 and a few weeks here or there won't make a difference.

The retail market may be affected more because they want to have the latest technology.

Nancy Baynes, account manager - Fodor Wylie PR consultancy

Oh good! Its going to give them a million column inches in the papers.

They say that any publicity is good publicity, but I don't think it will do Microsoft any good this time.

Karim Kassam, quality manager - nursing home

I'm still on Windows 3.11.

I was thinking of upgrading to Windows 98 rather then to '95 but I'm suspicious of Microsoft anyway. It's no big deal either way.

Charles Rovira, software developer - FT International

I don't think anybody is dying to move to Windows 98. Are they?

John Higgs, producer - GamesWorld (Sky 1)

Nobody really needs Windows 98 anyway, so its almost irrelevant.

Rana Mainee, european market analyst and planning manager, AMD

My initial reaction is one of frustration.

This industry works to a different beat to legal and government issues. This has been going on for a spectacularly long time and I think it's a shame.

Suki Goodman, lecturer - Cape Town University, South Africa

I hope that gives Microsoft more time to sort out the bugs it forgot about in Windows 95.