Windows® 98 Unleashed

Optimizing Memory

Memory is the lifeblood of your PC, and it is, by far, the single most important factor affecting your computer's performance. The minimum memory requirement for Windows 98 is 16MB, but I've found that this level of memory provides only minimally acceptable performance. If what you're really after is a system that will let you work in a high-end word processor, handle large spreadsheet files, send and receive email, access material on a CD-ROM, and surf the Internet, 16MB just won't cut the electronic mustard. A more realistic minimum would be 24MB if you want to squeeze any kind of performance out of Windows 98. If your needs are more high-end—manipulating large graphics files, working with video, heavy database querying—you ...