A hands-on exploration of daily usability of Windows 98 SE in 2026, using a Dell Dimension 2100 with a 1.1 GHz Celeron and 256 MB RAM. Period-correct software like MS Office 97 and Photoshop 5 work fine, and some modern software still runs via community efforts like Retro Systems Revival. Gaming is limited to era-appropriate titles but the library is large. The biggest challenge is modern internet access, though proxies like Frog Find and NPAPI plugins help bridge the gap. The piece reflects on how older software was less bloated and resource-hungry, framing retro computing as a legitimate alternative amid today's RAM/storage and AI-bloat concerns.
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