Back in May, I wrote an article explaining the development of Windows Vista. I was open to the controversial discussion of whether or not Windows Vista was the worst operating system. Understandably, this brought in a lot of disagreement. In a group for IT humor and memes on social media however, many have brought Windows ME into the discussion. Which brings an interesting question, “What about Windows ME?” This article will explain the operating system, and what led to the immediate downfall of Windows ME.
Windows ME was released after Windows 98 in the year 2000, which was intended to set Microsoft up for the 21st century. The acronym ME stood for “Millennium Edition.” Although Windows ME served the purpose of being another improvement of Windows, that was not the case. Rather, consumers were left furious, wondering why Microsoft would release an obviously incomplete and terrible product. Consequently, Windows ME has since been labeled by many as “The Worst Operating System of All Time.” While that is a defamatory label, I consider this time to be Microsoft’s undecided or unorganized period. Microsoft at this time was having difficulties figuring out how to properly satisfy end-users. As a result, they were not sure what they wanted the future of Windows to be.
To further add to this, Microsoft made the decision to release two remarkably similar looking versions of Windows. Windows 2000 was released at around the same time as Windows Millennium Edition. While conducting my research for this article, there were times where I found myself mixing up Windows ME with Windows 2000 and had to backtrack to head in the right direction. While it was a silly mistake, it was common, considering the times. Both Windows 2000 and Windows ME were being marketed in similar but diverse ways. Windows 2000 was marketed as an enterprise version of Windows, whereas Windows ME was going to be strictly for consumers, I.e. home users. Because of this, these were, respectively, just upgrades of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98. Windows 2000 was built on the newer, more stable Windows NT codebase while Windows ME was still built on the 9x codebase, which was quickly becoming outdated and unstable. But a lot of users did not know this.
Instead, users thought they were getting a home version of Windows 2000, which was released seven months prior, but this was incorrect. The reality is, the two versions may have appeared similar, but were different. After people made their upgrades, this quickly became apparent, and Windows ME did not meet their expectations. Constant BSODs, the lack of a DOS Mode from previous versions made it incredibly difficult for users to install older software, and frequent hardware compatibility issues made the OS virtually unusable. However, it boils down to one question. Is Windows ME really deserving of such a reputation as the worst operating system? Or is it another misunderstood product like Windows Vista. Windows ME’s infamous legacy seems to stem from what typically goes wrong with most failed Microsoft products. Development and marketing. The issues to Windows ME in particular were miscommunication from Microsoft, the lack of recognition, and its lack of capability.
Microsoft’s Miscommunication.
As mentioned earlier, a huge component of Windows ME’s downfall was the fact that it was controversially based on a separate kernel from Windows 2000. It might be surprising since it came out a year later, but one thing that was significantly responsible for its downfall was the development of Windows XP. At the beginning of Windows XP’s development, Microsoft mentioned that they were working on a new version of Windows codenamed “Neptune.” This was meant to be the first consumer-based version of Windows that would be built on the NT platform. During the release of Windows 98, Microsoft stated that 98 would be the very last version of Windows based on the 9x kernel. However, this statement was short-lived. Approximately a year later, Microsoft announced that a new version of Windows 9x was currently in development. Codenamed Millennium, to celebrate the year. Aside from being Y2K-proof, Millennium didn’t seem to be different from Windows 98. Because of this, a lot of Microsoft enthusiasts were following the development of Neptune instead. In order to speed up the production of Millennium, now rebranded as Windows ME, Neptune was dropped and was combined with a business Windows project, codenamed Odyssey, into a new project called Whistler, which became Windows XP. Microsoft felt that this decision was practical. They needed more time to develop a consumer version of an NT-based platform, and this would help them get a new version of Windows out to consumers In the meantime. However, this confused many Microsoft customers that might not have been paying as much attention to the development process.
“Windows 2000? What’s That.”
From the very beginning, Windows ME was meant to be an interim release while Microsoft finalized the consumer version of Windows. However, all this business about Neptune being the first NT-based consumer version while Windows ME was still in development, a 9x platform, and Windows 2000 came out, which is also NT-based, confused many people. Additionally, Windows 2000 did not help. As well as another with the name “Millennium” in it. With virtually the same user interface and timing causing more confusion as far as marketing. Due to all of these factors and no clarification from Microsoft, several people who purchased Windows ME either confused it with Windows 2000 or if not, were under the impression that they were getting an NT version of Windows. They had no clue that they were purchasing Windows 98 for the second time. Something they more than likely already own. They were seemingly upgrading from an outdated, unstable 9x operating system to a newer, outdated, unstable 9x operating system. To put that into perspective, Windows ME was marketed as the home edition of Windows 2000. However, consumers were not given that. People who soon realized this while using Windows ME felt that Microsoft had cheated them, giving all the praise and attention to Windows 2000. As a result, several home users upgraded again to Windows 2000, despite it serving as an operating system for business and enterprise companies. Last minute development decisions and unclear answers from Microsoft complicated everything for consumers. Furthermore, this was one of the important things about Windows ME that left a bad reputation.
Windows ME’s Timing.
Additionally, Windows ME didn’t receive any appreciation. More so, it didn’t get an opportunity to. The reason for this is due to its timing. When reviewing the timeline of Microsoft software, as well as the development choices that were made, everything starts to come together. It is the year 2000, and Microsoft has just come out with Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) the year prior, and it generally received positive reviews. Along with this, Microsoft is also stirring discussion of an upcoming NT-based version of Windows. Everyone now has their sights on that. Not only did Windows ME come out too soon after another Windows version, but it was also the same version. Consumers who have just purchased a new copy of Windows 98 SE were not going to spend more money on another version of Windows that doesn’t seem any different. Although sales for Windows ME were not terrible, those who were looking to upgrade just when reviews for Windows ME were now publicized, would either do so with Windows 2000 or another version of Windows 98. Furthermore, a year after Windows ME’s debut, Microsoft finally released their NT-based product, Windows XP. At that point, especially for those who upgraded to Windows XP, Windows ME was now a distant mistake. These circumstances didn’t give Windows ME the “time to shine” as some might say. The versions in between Windows 98, 2000, and XP were released only a year apart. Because these versions were well received except for 2000, Windows ME’s abilities were minimized. As a result, people didn’t have the chance to get acquainted with Windows ME. Which is what typically happens to operating systems that eventually are well received after time passes. They get released, and over time, people get used to them more as they improve. An example can be seen with Windows 10’s rough start. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen to Windows ME due to its short lifespan. As a result, Windows ME became a shadow of Windows XP. Windows ME wasn’t appreciated because people weren’t aware of it, or simply didn’t care.
Technology & Capability.
As mentioned earlier, several people saw Windows ME as an unnecessary upgrade to Windows 98. While many may think that Windows ME’s criticism is unfair due to it being based on a 9x kernel along with Windows 98 SE, there are many reasons why it in some perspectives it is reasonable. Firstly, technology can change a lot in a short period of time. While Windows 9x might be acceptable in 1999, by the year 2000, there was already prevalent discussion of Microsoft moving its home users to an NT environment. Subsequently, 9x started to show its age. For context, the 9 implies the 1990s. The millennium was about looking forward. While Windows 98 SE had the advantage of being marketed as an extension of Windows 98, an already well-received operating system that had been out for some time. People were not anticipating many changes, so it could be considered a small upgrade. However, Windows ME was being branded as a new version of Windows. So, people had high expectations. Especially with what has been mentioned regarding its development. In some respects, Windows ME was less capable than Windows 98. Although Windows ME was a 9x operating system, it removed a respectable feature in Windows 98. This being DOS Mode. This feature allowed users to install and run older-based DOS Software. The feature was removed in order to increase boot time, and no longer being able to run this legacy software irritated several people. This was somewhat reversed with the introduction of Compatibility Mode in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 and subsequently, Windows XP, as well as the release of emulator programs such as DOSBox, which gave people even more reason not to use Windows ME.
Windows ME crashed repeatedly. Windows ME being 9x-based is partially to blame, however that isn’t the only reason as Windows 98 wasn’t as unstable. This is specifically because of what happened when Neptune was canceled. Microsoft was aware that they were running out of time with Neptune and wanted to release something to satisfy home users. Consequently, they got an operating system that was rushed, and incomplete. These annoying crashes and bugs were the result of that. Another failed Microsoft Product, such as Windows Vista, is often ridiculed for being ahead of its time. Windows ME however, was behind its time. For these reasons. It essentially took Windows 98 and stripped away some of its features making it less of an upgrade, and more of a step back.
Is Windows ME Deserving its Hate?
In retrospect, not completely. Excluding the rushed development and the fact that it was built on 9x, the concept of Windows ME itself makes it a decent operating system of its time, just poorly executed. Windows ME came with several features that would not only help make Windows XP so well received, but also some that we take for granted now. One of these features includes Automatic Updates. Rather than opening your internet browser, navigating to Microsoft’s website and checking for Windows updates, it was all done within the operating system. Another feature that Windows ME introduced was System Restore. If your system and files were corrupted and your computer is no longer usable, System Restore would bring the operating system back to its previous state. For the most part. The idea of a System Restore feature itself was a nice concept at the time. However, Windows ME’s System Restore feature was heavily criticized. I imagine a number of Windows ME users were acquainted with System Restore. However, this didn’t always work, and if you were restoring your software due to a virus infection, System Restore could restore the virus. It wasn’t perfect, by any means. But the fact that this was introduced in Windows ME allowed for it to be further revised and perfected in Windows XP and later versions of Windows. There was also Image Preview, a program dedicated to viewing images when you click on them, rather than having to open them in Paint or Internet Explorer. Most notably is Windows Movie Maker. This creation would prove to be influential on Windows XP with the rise of YouTube, which would soon attract millions of low budget filmmakers and content creators.
If you used very particular hardware, software, and constantly checked that you installed the right drivers, Windows ME would run decently, but a lot of people did not bother to check their specifications. As far as Windows ME being a bad operating system, it was in that regard. But its issues don’t take away from the fact that it did have decent features. Despite the calamity, it shows that Microsoft was heading in the right direction. Future generations of Windows were going to be very advanced and capable of a lot of things. While Windows ME is considered to be the worst operating system of all time, it was one of many versions of Windows to contribute to the traditional and expected software routines that we see today.
Learn more about Windows NT.