Microsoft's pending retirement of Window 98 means some businesses will have some decisions to make on their computer systems.

Windows 98 is probably the most popular small business operating system. For the needs of most small businesses it has all the features needed and strikes the right balance between reliability, useability and price. So it takes serious consideration before upgrading.

With the withdrawal of support of Windows 98 by Microsoft, we’ll see fewer new hardware and software products that can run on 98. This will be a gradual process, Windows 98 computers won’t just stop working on the day Microsoft ceases support.

Windows XP and networks

Windows XP runs well on Windows 98 networks. There are some minor issues with networking with the older computers but it is generally painless. As networking is much central to XP it generally plays very well with other computers.

When should you abandon Windows 98.

For the foreseeable future, most businesses should be able to use Windows 98 for small business use. As business grows and new computers are installed, then Windows XP Professional should be the operating system of choice.

Customised software is always a concern when you upgrade. Before upgrading any business system it is essential to check that important software and hardware will work on the new systems. A lot of older and more specialised software has problems with newer systems.

We suggest sticking with 98 for your existing small business computers. If you’re business is growing, or the computers are getting long in the tooth, then new computers should come supplied with XP Professional. We find that XP Home is prettier but doesn’t have the features businesses need.

The withdrawal of Windows 98 support may cause problems for small business over a long period. By the time these issues become a concern, most small businesses will have upgraded their computers. We don’t recommend throwing out your computers now, but be prepared to upgrade when the time comes.