All I can tell you is that Windows 98 is from 1998 and it is currently 2005. Windows XP came out in 2001, and there's even a completely new Windows coming out in 2006. Visual Studio 6 is also from 1998 and its offical support lifecycle ended in september 2004. Windows 98's ended in 2002, but critical updates for Win98 will be available until June 2006.
Let's put this into perspective..
The year is 1998..
top 10 movies:
1. Saving Private Ryan, starring Tom Hanks
2. Armageddon
3. There's Something About Mary, starring Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz
4. A Bug's Life
5. The Waterboy, starring Adam Sandler
6. Doctor Dolittle, starring Eddie Murphy
7. Rush Hour
8. Deep Impact
9. Godzilla
10. Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams
on the radio:
* "My Heart Will Go On" - Celine Dion
* "Tubthumping" - Chumbawamba
* "The Dope Show"-Marilyn Manson
* "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)" - Green Day
* "My Own Worst Enemy" - Lit
* "Ray Of Light" - Madonna
* "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" - The Offspring
* "Iris" - Goo Goo Dolls
* "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" - Aerosmith
* "Thank U" - Alanis Morissette
* "The Way" - Fastball
* "You're Still The One" - Shania Twain
* "Torn" - Natalie Imbruglia
* "Uninvited" - Alanis Morissette
* " My Name Is " - Eminem
Bits of news:
January 17 - Paula Jones accuses President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment.
January 26 - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
February - Iraq disarmament crisis: The United States Senate passes resolution 71, which urged President Bill Clinton to "take all necessary and appropriate actions to respond to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
February 20 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein negotiates a deal with U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan, allowing weapons inspectors to return to Baghdad, preventing military action by the U.S. and Britain.
February 23 - Osama bin Laden publishes fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders.
March 23 - At the Academy Awards ceremony Titanic wins 11 Oscars
March 24 - In Jonesboro, Arkansas, two young boys (aged 11 and 13 years) fire upon students at Westside Middle School while hidden in woodlands near the school. Four students and one teacher are killed and 10 injured
May 7 - Apple Computer unveils the iMac.
May 18 - Microsoft antitrust case: The United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states file an antitrust case against Microsoft
May 21 - School shooting: At Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, Kipland Kinkel (who was suspended for bringing a gun to school) shoots a semi-automatic rifle into a room filled with students killing 2 wounding 25 others after killing his parents at home
June 4 - Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing
August 17 - Monica Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. On the same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about his relationship
September 7 - Google Inc. is founded.
September 29 - Iraq disarmament crisis: The U.S. Congress passes the "Iraq Liberation Act", which states that the United States wants to remove Saddam Hussein from power and replace the government with a democratic institution.
October 12 - U.S. Congress passes Digital Millennium Copyright Act
October 31 - Iraq disarmament crisis begins: Iraq announces it would no longer cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors.
November 3 - Former professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura is elected Governor of Minnesota.
November 13-14 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President Clinton orders airstrikes on Iraq. Clinton then calls it off at the last minute when Iraq promises once again to "unconditionally" cooperate with UNSCOM
November 23-26 - Iraq disarmament crisis: According to UNSCOM, Iraq once again ends cooperation with the U.N. inspectors, alternately intimidating and withholding information from them
December 1 - Exxon announces a US$73.7 billion deal to buy Mobil, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the largest company on the planet.
December 11 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq announces that U.N. weapons inspections will no longer take place on Friday, the Muslim day of rest. Iraq also refuses to provide test data from the production of missiles and engines
December 16-19 - Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President Clinton orders American and British airstrikes on Iraq. UNSCOM withdraws all weapons inspectors from Iraq
December 19 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan announces that Iraq will no longer cooperate and declares that UNSCOM's "mission is over."
December 21 - Iraq disarmament crisis: UN Security Council members France, Germany and Russia call for sanctions to end against Iraq. The three Security Council members also call for UNSCOM to either be disbanded or for its role to be recast. The U.S. says it will veto any such proposal
December 26 - Iraq disarmament crisis: Iraq announced its intention to fire upon US and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern "no-fly zones".
Now... although there was certainly a few interesting tidbits in there.. do you really want to be stuck in 1998? I mean come on now.. Godzilla sucked, Eminem sucks (worse than Godzilla), Titanic winning 11 oscars, need I say more?
(sources: MS web site pages
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifewin and
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifedevtoolfam as well as wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998 )
The real issue is, its not really anyone elses problem how you either upgrade to a non-shit operating system or acquire a shit copy of visual studio. You need to figure that out for yourself. Sorry...