Switching from Vista to 98SE

Have you considered Linux?

a MUCH better alternative would be a linux distribution

I would recommend you switch to Ubuntu Linux 9.04. It's extremely fast and should work on your laptop. 98 almost for sure wouldn't work on your laptop unless it's over a few years old.

Listen to BC and killerb255, I would say the same thing but I'm too lazy to write it all out. Simpily put Vista is a decent OS, just MOST manufactures fill it to the top with crap. I have a computer with 3 Ghz CPU, 2 GB RAM etc. and it run slow from day 1 due to crap Acer added in.

that was the reason I reformatted my laptop with a clean Vista install. The difference is amazing.

Windows 98SE?!? I know vista is bad, VERY BAD, but you are aware Microsoft stopped any support for 98 3 years and 4 days ago (July 11, 2006) I think you can get a legal copy (of XP) cheaper on the net now it is been replaced by Vista.

No you don't know that.  I run it and for the most part I don't mind it.  I am used to navigating in XP but there are no drivers for my laptop for XP x64.

What you do know is that you don't like it and possibly a few of your friends don't like it either.

DON'T STATE OPINIONS AS FACTS.  Read my sig, carefully, repeat as needed.

I think you can get a legal copy (of XP) cheaper on the net now it is been replaced by Vista.

That's actually not correct. With MS prices are normally cheapest when the OS first comes out, not later on. XP Pro (home is no longer sold) cost about $100 right now.
Windows 2000 still costs about $85-90 (only 10 bucks cheaper than XP).

That's actually not correct. With MS prices are normally cheapest when the OS first comes out, not later on. XP Pro (home is no longer sold) cost about $100 right now.
Windows 2000 still costs about $85-90 (only 10 bucks cheaper than XP).

XP Pro cost 240$ for me...

XP Pro cost 240$ for me...

When did you buy it?

last year. but it was am OEM copy, I had to get something with it. I think I got a mouse or something, not sure.

that was the reason I reformatted my laptop with a clean Vista install. The difference is amazing.

I believe, with many laptops, the recovery partition, or disk created from the recovery partition, will restore all the original software that was on the computer when it was new. So, in all such cases, the reinstall is not going to yield a nice clean system without all the extraneous software that was on the computer when it was new.  So then, it's really up to the user to get rid of, i.e. uninstall, unneeded software.  Still, the time and effort spent doing this can yield noticeably improved performance.

I believe, with many laptops, the recovery partition, or disk created from the recovery partition, will restore all the original software that was on the computer when it was new. So, in all such cases, the reinstall is not going to yield a nice clean system without all the extraneous software that was on the computer when it was new.  So then, it's really up to the user to get rid of, i.e. uninstall, unneeded software.  Still, the time and effort spent doing this can yield noticeably improved performance.

when I said "clean vista install" I meant "clean vista install". I deleted ALL partitions, including the recovery partition and reinstalled Vista Ultimate from my DVD.

In my opinion recovery discs and recovery partitions are cruel jokes. the machine should include the ACTUAL windows Disc, and another disc with the drivers & applications... obviously allowing people to opt out of, for example, installing a "FREE NORTON 360 trial!" instead of presenting a modal dialog that won't go away until you either set it up or force it's task to close with task manager.

when I said "clean vista install" I meant "clean vista install". I deleted ALL partitions, including the recovery partition and reinstalled Vista Ultimate from my DVD.

So, how did you get your Vista Ultimate DVD?  Did you buy it separately?

So, how did you get your Vista Ultimate DVD?  Did you buy it separately?

Yes, I had already bought it for this machine I use now, but it wasn't quite fast enough to take Vista, so I went back to XP.

so I used it for the laptop.

I think manufacturers should have to include a "real" windows Disc, rather then "recovery" discs that have preloaded cruft. They used to, ages ago. Oh well.