Question Windows ME still so Expensive

[C1]

Have an unopened Win ME and was contemplating giving it away. Checked prices on eBay and unopened Win ME still commands significant prices (eg, $55 on up ). That is really surprising as such an OS wont run well in even duo core systems because of lack of drivers (eg, graphics).

(Unopened Win ME OS on average seems to command higher prices than even unopened MS Offices such as XP & 2003.)

What gives ?

https://www.ebay.com/p/127939784

 

[igor_kavinski]

Yeah, don't sell it. Could be worth a fortune someday. Probably the most buggy Microsoft OS ever.

I was on Win98SE and excitedly upgraded to WinME. Got a bluescreen error within 5 minutes!

Rebooted. Tried to use it again. Bluescreen error!

Immediately rolled back to Win98SE. Never tried it again. As far as I know, none of my friends ever used it.

Maybe the only place it worked would be OEM PCs because they had been tested exhaustively for stability and had drivers that didn't cause issues.

My next OS was Win2000. Fell in love with it. The mouse pointer glided differently. It felt surreal. Learned that they had done something different, like moving the mouse driver code from user mode into kernel mode or something.

 

[mikeymikec]

My next OS was Win2000. Fell in love with it. The mouse pointer glided differently. It felt surreal. Learned that they had done something different, like moving the mouse driver code from user mode into kernel mode or something.

Windows 2000 was a completely different OS to Win9x. It was based on the Windows NT architecture:

Windows NT - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Muadib]

Yeah, don't sell it. Could be worth a fortune someday. Probably the most buggy Microsoft OS ever.

I was on Win98SE and excitedly upgraded to WinME. Got a bluescreen error within 5 minutes!

Rebooted. Tried to use it again. Bluescreen error!

Immediately rolled back to Win98SE. Never tried it again. As far as I know, none of my friends ever used it.

Maybe the only place it worked would be OEM PCs because they had been tested exhaustively for stability and had drivers that didn't cause issues.

My next OS was Win2000. Fell in love with it. The mouse pointer glided differently. It felt surreal. Learned that they had done something different, like moving the mouse driver code from user mode into kernel mode or something.

I also fell in love with win 2000. I've been looking for a replacement ever since, with no luck. Perhaps one day...

 

[igor_kavinski]

I also fell in love with win 2000. I've been looking for a replacement ever since, with no luck. Perhaps one day...

I have Win Server 2003 in a VM. It's fun to use. Seems even more polished than 2000 and seriously stable.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Windows 2000 was a completely different OS to Win9x. It was based on the Windows NT architecture:

Windows NT - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That's true but I think I had used NT before in a school's lab and its mouse cursor didn't move like 2000's did. The UI just felt more "solid". Mouse clicks on buttons and other UI elements felt just right. They really didn't need to change anything about it but went ahead and gave us crappy WinXP UI, then somewhat better Win7, made us go bonkers with Win8 and back to some sanity with Win10. Now they are at it again with Win11. Morons.

 

[tcsenter]

Windows ME basically runs as well as 98SE after:

- disabling the Active Desktop feature
- deleting PCHealth and StateMgr Registry entries from the 'RUN' section
- Reducing System Restore disk space (possibly disabling it altogether)
- upgrading the "ME" version of MSIE 5.5 to the release version of MSIE 5.5SP2
- applying the Windows 'critical' updates (IE cumulative patches and MSJVM updates)
- gathering up the latest vendor drivers for all devices

 

[igor_kavinski]

Windows ME basically runs as well as 98SE after:

- disabling the Active Desktop feature
- deleting PCHealth and StateMgr Registry entries from the 'RUN' section
- Reducing System Restore disk space (possibly disabling it altogether)
- upgrading the "ME" version of MSIE 5.5 to the release version of MSIE 5.5SP2
- applying the Windows 'critical' updates (IE cumulative patches and MSJVM updates)
- gathering up the latest vendor drivers for all devices

Lot of work. What's better about it compared to Win98SE?

 

[tcsenter]

Lot of work. What's better about it compared to Win98SE?

I have no idea, anymore, what might have been it's advantages.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Old software like that tends to command bizarrely high prices because anyone who is buying really needs it for some weird reason.

Someone has some legacy code that no one knows how to update but will only work on this super specific revision of Windows, stuff like that.

What do you do when that computer starts getting weird? Buy another one just like it and a new Windows ME copy.

And then you have the collectors...

 

[mikeymikec]

Lot of work. What's better about it compared to Win98SE?

It has a USB mass storage driver, that's all I'm aware of.

 

[WilliamM2]

Have an unopened Win ME and was contemplating giving it away. Checked prices on eBay and unopened Win ME still commands significant prices (eg, $55 on up ). That is really surprising as such an OS wont run well in even duo core systems because of lack of drivers (eg, graphics).

(Unopened Win ME OS on average seems to command higher prices than even unopened MS Offices such as XP & 2003.)

What gives ?

https://www.ebay.com/p/127939784

Crazy seller asking way too much. He can ask whatever he wants, doesn't mean he'll get it.

Check the "sold" listings. Most go for $30 or so, I saw one for $99, but it probably sold for much less with a "best offer".