Today is the day that Windows 98 and its varrients pass into the computing hereafter. As of today Microsoft is no longer providing telephone support or providing security updates for Windows 98, 98 SE, and ME. Current estimates place the number of computers still running the aging OS near 70 million worldwide. 

If you are among the 70 million Windows 98 users (or know one) that are now without support and protection, there are a few options available. You could still keep using 98, despite the lack of security updates - but I don't recommend it if you plan on taking your PC anywhere near the Internet. If the computer never goes online (and that is a possibility, I know a few grandmas that see their computers as a typewriter that can play solitaire) then this option is quite reasonable - if you don't need support from Microsoft. Another path would be to upgrade to Windows XP. Still, that won't work for some because of either finacial or technical constraints (or both). There are still quite a few computers that work just fine but can't run XP.  Plus, buying a copy of XP can be expensive and buying a new computer more so.

Then what are you to do if the other options won't work for you? I would suggest switching to Linux. It requires less in the terms of hardware specs to run, so it will run on older hardware. It is free, you only have to download it (or send away for it if you can't download it). Most importantly, it is more secure than even Windows XP and most distributions have planned long term support for their versions of the OS. While it may seem overwhelming at first, Linux is just like Windows. If you were able to learn Windows, learning Linux should not be any harder. I recommend the Ubuntu distribution if you are intrested in taking the Linux route. It has excellent free community support (and there is commercial support available, if that makes you more comfortable), they will send you CD's of Ubuntu for free if you cannot download the installation CD (which is nice for users on dial-up), the install CD is a "live  CD"  that lets you test drive Ubuntu on your computer before you even install it, and the install is one of the easiest installs I have ever seen (I think it is even easier than installing Windows). If you are a regular Geek In Gear reader, then you will remember that the current version of Ubuntu blew me away, and I said that it was ready for the average computer literate user. I stand behind that, and am fairly sure (you can't please everyone) that if you give Ubuntu a try you will come to like it too.

Microsoft Ends Support of Windows 98 Today @ Gizmodo
The official Ubuntu Linux Site
Free Ubuntu CDs

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