Configure the Windows Desktop

98lite extends the possibilities for configuring your system to suit your needs. Configure your desktop in four ways to suit YOU. With 98lite you can swap from one shell configuration to the other in little more time than it takes to reboot! SLEEK and CHUBBY dis-integrate your web browser from your desktop if you decide to keep Internet Explorer for web browsing.

SLEEK - lean and very fast

Installing the ultra-fast Windows95 Explorer into Windows98 is the desktop modification that 98lite is famous for. If you have a copy of Windows95 prior to OSR2.5 (ie. before IE 4.0 was integrated into Windows95), then 98lite can install the SLEEK Windows95 Explorer into Windows98. The Windows95 Explorer (Pre OSR2.5) does not include all the "webification" that slows down the Windows98 interface, and so it simply lightens the load on your CPU and memory, and allows your computer to realise it full potential.

Explorer95 is simply much faster for browsing the hard drive. On a slow computer (Pentium I Systems) with the windows98, you can literally see each window be re-drawn, there is a considerable delay in opening and closing explorer windows, even with all "webification" deactivated using using tweakUI or using a utility from from the Windows Annoyances web site. In contrast, Explorer95 simply snaps open and closed.

You do have to trade some features for SPEED (e.g. quick-launch toolbars, in-situ start menu editing), but, if you really like those extra features... then eat up, and get...

CHUBBY - the nimble fatso

The CHUBBY desktop is 100% Windows98, and is the ideal speed boost for people who do not own Windows95, or that simply must have the Windows98 shell enhancements. The CHUBBY desktop is the same Explorer desktop that is installed with Windows98, but the View as a Web Page and Active Desktop features have been totally removed to breath some life back into Explorer. You can turn these features off normally, but Explorer is still doing a lot of redundant work in the background. 98lite removes the features completely, including all the associated registry baggage to maximise the performance of your desktop environment.

CHUBBY is not quite as fast as the SLEEK Windows95 Explorer, but you keep the Windows98 shell enhancements like the in-situ start menu editing, single click, quick-launch toolbars. CHUBBY is the ultimate solution for users wanting to dis-integrate the web from the desktop, without using any Windows95 files, while keeping the recent enhancements to Explorer.

OVER-WEIGHT - fat cat

This is the standard Windows98 desktop, that includes all the web integration. Having this option in 98lite allows you to try different desktop configurations, and return the "normal" desktop if you want to. You are also able to remove the Internet Explorer web browser, but keep the standard Windows98 webified desktop if thats what you like. This is certainly the slowest option... but some people like the web-view options and the image thumbnails, and have powerful enough computers to make it all work just fine.

98MICRO - the fastest and smallest Windows ever

Professional Version only

98micro completely removes all traces of the MS HTML engine. The result is a tiny unencumbered installation of Windows (can be less than 40MB!) that runs many third party applications at top speed with improved stability with the maximal amount of free resources. For people running dual boot systems, running Windows under emulation, or businesses that load Windows images across a network there is nothing to compare to 98micro. If the software you run has no need for MS HTML then you are in great shape for a tremendous speed and stability increase using 98micro. Should you encounter the need to replace the HTML engine, then 98lite can do that too by a simple Shell Swap that takes little more than a reboot. ...Ultra-lite with a tiny footprint and fast bootup! Check it out!