I'm thinking of building a new system with a P5 board and wonder
if it will be ok with WIN98SE? I don't like the restrictions of
XP when changing hardware etc. Any help will be appreciated.
When it comes to OS support, check the download page, as every
driver has a list of supported OSes underneath the web link:
http://www.asus.com.tw/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=P5GD1&Type=All
I bought a copy of Win2K for the very reasons you describe. No
call to Redmond required. Was as expensive as hell though (got
the retail version and not the OEM).
At the bottom of this page, there are OEM versions of Win2K and
WinXP for roughly the same price. That would mean buying some
hardware from them as well, to "validate" the OEM purchase.
Some companies are pretty relaxed about that, and purchasing
a heatsink/fan sometimes qualifies as "a system"
I don't
know if the license details are the same for the OEM as the
retail (i.e. no phone call).
http://www.newegg.com/app/manufact.asp?catalog=368&DEPA=0
The OS support is not a function of Asus, it is a function of
each provider of hardware. Asus doesn't write the drivers,
they just package the drivers provided with the chips they
buy.
To see how not all boards are hobbled the same way, if you
look at an A8V, it has Win98 mentioned in the driver list:
http://www.asus.com.tw/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=a8V Deluxe&Type=All
So, shop around using the driver download pages, and perhaps
you can find something.
HTH,
Paul