Microsoft Corp., plagued by reports of problems with its Windows 98 operating system, said Windows Update -- a software download it is putting together that will pack the latest additions to Windows 98 -- is not a service pack in disguise.
A spokesman for the Redmond, Wash., software maker said Windows Update will include only new features, such as a new version of DirectX, a three-dimensional enhancement application.
Users, however, probably wish the company would come out with a service pack, because problems with drivers and BIOS issues surfaced only days after Windows 98 hit the streets. In many cases, hardware makers took matters into their own hands, some issuing warnings against upgrading certain PCs and laptops that might have problems with Windows 98, and others offering guidance on how to upgrade PCs to avoid any potential agony.
Gateway took the matter a step further, saying it would ship its PCs with a special CD-ROM designed to make the upgrade easier.
