The release of Windows 98 in the Republic yesterday was greeted with a minimum of fanfare and mixed reactions from computer retailers. Compared to the hype that surrounded the arrival of Windows 95, the follow-up operating system is getting the Cinderella treatment.
One Dublin-based retailer, Everyman Computers, has not started shipping the new version because there have been no customer requests for it. This follows a fax sent to more than 100 corporate customers detailing the new product's features, price, and launch date.
"There really doesn't seem to be much interest out there at a corporate level. Most either saw it at Windows World and made their minds up then, or have tested it out on Beta copies," says Ms Miriam Plenderleith, managing director of Everyman Computers.
Windows 95 was a revolutionary addition to the Microsoft stable it changed the face of the operating system dramatically. Windows 98 has been described as a glorified Windows 95 offering greater stability (less crashes), speedier load times, a universal serial bus which facilitates easier hardware connection and an integrated Internet Explorer browser spanning the entire system.
Windows 98 has not been geared towards the corporate user, as Microsoft's long-term goal is to hook the entire corporate world up to its Windows NT servers and workstations which offer a more robust platform for corporate networks. Instead it is targeting the consumer market which has grown considerably since the introduction of Windows 95.
Mr Richard Linley, managing director of Micro Warehouse, says this will lead to particularly good sales in the Republic, where he predicts Windows 98 will outsell Windows 95 in its first six months. Micro Warehouse accounts for 60 per cent of Microsoft wholesale products sold in Ireland.
"We have pre-bookings 25 per cent higher than we had for Windows 95. Back then Ireland was way behind the rest of Europe in growing its retail computing sector. When Windows 95 hit, the retail base and sales channel were embryonic, now they are well established," Mr Linley says.
In 1995 about 8 per cent of computers purchased here were for home use. Today that figure is closer to 25 per cent, though it still lags behind the US where home user sales account for about half the market.
Mr Linley expects the adoption of Windows 98 to be practically mandatory for the computer games enthusiast, where the new operating system provides much stronger support.
Mr Nicholas Cadbury, marketing director of Dixons-owned PC World, says it will have strong appeal for the first-time buyer. "We find the first-time buyer is much more knowledgeable today than even a year ago," he said. "Though Microsoft has geared Windows 98 towards the experienced user, we are confident it will also make life a lot easier for the first-time user."
The consensus among retailers indicates that initial take-up will be confined to Microsoft or game enthusiasts, users sold on the idea of improved stability and first-time buyers keen to get the latest version available.
Upgrades will be limited as Windows 95 users and corporates adopt a wait and see approach, preferring to watch others fall prey to the bugs and pitfalls that may be lurking than regret doing away with a functional Windows 95 system.
