By the time you read this, the Windows 98 hoopla will be in full swing. The glorious new step in the evolution of the Windows platform will have swept to most parts of the globe.
Among the many features Microsoft proudly points to in the new version of its the Windows operating system is its Internet integration. It is this integration in Windows 95, and more so in Windows 98, that has put Bill Gates and company on a collision course with the Justice Department, the United States Government and much of the world.
But just what are these features that Washington bureaucrats and lawyers find so disturbing? At the heart of it is the integrated Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 browser. Windows 98 has much the same look, feel and basic Internet capabilities of Windows 95 with IE 4 installed.
But now you do not have to install it to get this interface - it is the default, and if you do not want it, but opt for another browser instead, you have to disable IE 4's main features.
What IE 4 does is make the core of the interface Web-based. You can browse the Web through the normal Internet Explorer window, but Windows Explorer itself is also Internet Explorer-enabled, and you can browse your computer as you would the Internet.
Also, the desktop becomes HTML enabled, allowing you to place ActiveX and HTML objects on to the desktop. This makes the desktop an interactive tool at the heart of the Windows interface.