Question: What is your opinion of trying to avoid Windows 98 altogether and shifting to Windows NT 5.0 when it arrives, assuming this occurs within, perhaps, six months?

I’m currently using a 3½-year-old laptop with DOS and Windows 3.1 for most of my work (mainly an intellectual property practice), and I have a low-end, dedicated desktop computer with Windows 95 that I use for Internet purposes. I’m looking toward upgrading the laptop to a new unit, either another Toshiba or IBM because of the Accupoint, but don’t want to invest in Windows 98 software if it only will become outdated within a short period after purchase.

I’ve heard mixed comments about NT 5.0.

Benjamin Appelbaum

Answer: You didn’t include any information about the size of your practice. Much of my answer depends on the size of your firm and whether your computer is connected to others through a local area network. The answer is different for sole practitioners than for firms of 10 or more attorneys. Based on the questions I receive as a technology consultant, I know that lawyers in all practice settings will be interested in this timely question.

Your question implies you would be willing to wait for Windows NT 5.0. Last I heard, it was in beta testing. Of course, it has been in beta testing for an extended period of time. This means that if you are brave or foolish, depending on your view of technology, you can actually work a testing version today. The shipping date has been delayed so many times that the product has been renamed and is now being called Windows 2000. Its name may provide a clue to when it might be available for purchase. In fact, an article in the Jan. 18 issue of InfoWorld stated Microsoft now expects to ship Windows 2000 on Feb. 25, 2000 and may introduce an interim release calling it either Window NT 4.5 or Windows NT 5.0. According to the article, if Microsoft were to release an interim version, it would be released in June 1999.

The delays are due to the addition of features such as Active Directory and IntelliMirror technologies that are aimed at large installations. To complicate matters, the next generation of Pentium chips, the Pentium III, will be available in March while the mobile version of that chip will not be out until the end of the year. As the operating systems become more complex, the coordination between hardware and software becomes more critical.

In any event, as with any new product, I never recommend being the first firm on the block to install it. Leave that job for people who have a lot of time, technical savvy and don’t mind when their computers go bump in the night (and day for that matter).

First things first

Before delving into the respective merits of Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 (formerly Windows NT 5.0), I should warn you that you will have to do something this year regardless of the options available. A laptop that is 3½ years old, in all likelihood, will not be Year-2000 compliant. Additionally, Microsoft, to everyone’s chagrin, has stated that Windows 3.1 is not Y2K compliant. This has forced many businesses into the same dilemma you are in.

Things have gotten a lot more complicated in the past few years. Before Microsoft Windows 3.0 came out, most people used DOS. The differences between the versions of DOS were very minimal so most people stayed with the version that came with their computer. Recently, though, the time between versions has lessened — new versions are arriving about every 18 months and the older versions are all but impossible to purchase.

New individual computers — those not on a network — can be bought with either Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. For networks, the choices are more complex. First, you have to decide whether you will have a dedicated server (an expensive computer that sits in a back room managing activities on the network) or a peer-to-peer network where one of the computers is both the server and a workstation for someone in the office.

A peer-to-peer network can be a cost-effective solution for a very small office. Both Windows 95 and Windows 98 include the software necessary to set up a peer-to-peer network. However, as with any network, I would strongly advise you to hire a professional to set it up and assist your office maintain it. There were some bugs in the early versions of Windows 95 that caused problems with peer-to-peer networks. (There were other bugs in there, too, but that subject is for another day!) Artisoft Inc. 2202 North Forbes Blvd., Tucson, Ariz. 85745, 800-846-9726, sells a popular peer-to-peer network product, LANtastic.

While some offices experience little or no trouble with peer-to-peer networks, many software vendors recommend against them based on calls to their technical support departments. Additionally, if you choose a peer-to-peer network, I strongly recommend you purchase an additional computer for use as a designated server to store all the firm’s documents and data files. Given those caveats, even small law offices are implementing dedicated server networks to ensure greater reliability.

Types of networks

Within the world of dedicated server networks, there also are a few flavors to choose from. The products from Microsoft are either NT or Windows NT Back Office Small Business Server, which essentially is a subset of Windows NT. Novell also has two versions of its networking software.

For most offices, choosing between the full version and the small-business version comes down to price. The small-business version includes Internet access, internal e-mail, fax software, remote-access capability, scheduling software, and the tools to create and manage your firm’s web site. Similarly, the Novell NetWare for Small Business includes GroupWise for Internet and internal e-mail, fax software, a copy of the Oracle 8 data base, and Quickbooks for check-writing and bookkeeping.

There are many differences between the products offered by Novell and Microsoft. Without getting too technical, Novell products tend to be better in handling file-sharing, managing printing, and system security (three critical functions in most law offices), while Microsoft products generally are easier to install and administer.

I recently had an e-mail exchange with a colleague, Michael Glasser of Computers Unlimited in Jericho, N.Y., about what he is recommending to his law firm clients. He said firms that already have Novell 3.12 tend to upgrade to Novell 3.20 to gain Y2K compatibility. Firms without a network in place lean toward Microsoft’s network offerings.

He said that, “when programs are written today, they’re certified first for Microsoft and then for Novell.” He added that software on a structured query language (SQL) server (which includes most document management products and many case management and time-and-billing programs) runs faster and more reliably on NT. These observations coincide with my own experience.

When deciding which network product to buy, my rule of thumb is to go with your local vendor’s strengths. If the vendor knows and supports Novell, go with Novell. If the vendor uses NT and installs it in clients’ offices, then go with NT. If the vendor supports both, then, at this juncture, unless you’re upgrading an existing Novell network, the better long-term choice is a variety of NT.

Lowdown on NT

Microsoft introduced the first NT (version 3.1) in 1993. It was designed from the beginning to work in a 32-bit environment and did not have the memory limitation that was a major problem with DOS. Does anyone remember trying to run programs in 640 KB of memory? Fewer than 500,000 copies were sold in its first year. Few NT-specific applications were available; it offered limited DOS and Windows 3.x compatibility and it needed 16 MB of RAM when most PCs were being sold with 4 MB of RAM. Since then, there have been three upgrades. While it kept improving, the real turnaround in market share was the result of cheap memory and hard drive space. Today, there are an estimated 7 million installations of Windows NT.

There are actually two kinds of Windows NT: the server product and the workstation variety. The workstation software supports Plug and Play (often referred to sarcastically as “plug and pray” since it doesn’t always work the way it should) and improves multiprocessing (the ability to handle multiple functions simultaneously).

A computer running NT Workstation should have at least 64 MB of RAM and at least 300 MB free for the operating system software. While these specifications are rarely an issue when purchasing a desktop computer, they can drive up the cost of a laptop more dramatically.

One article said there were problems with Windows 2000 beta running mainstream programs like Corel WordPerfect and even Microsoft Office. The Windows 2000 Workstation focuses on tighter Internet integration and better Plug and Play support.

The Windows 2000 server includes all the features of the Workstation software plus Internet Information Server, Active Directory for network management, and other management enhancements. It is generally recommended to have at least 128 MB of RAM on a Windows NT server.

In contrast to Windows NT, Windows 98 is the progeny of DOS. The legacy of short file names and memory management are still under the hood of Windows. One of the biggest benefits of Windows 95 and 98 is they offer better compatibility with DOS and 16-bit applications (translation: written for Windows 3.0 and 3.1 but not Windows 95 or 98). For law firms, this is a significant issue. Many legal-specific products have not yet been rewritten to run in a 32-bit arena (translation: written for Windows 95 or 98). While more and more products have made the migration, they are of very recent vintage and need a few corrections under their belt before I would recommend using them in your office.

Microsoft hopes businesses will adopt Windows 2000 as their operating environment. Whether their wish will be granted depends in large part on how long it takes before it is available and how stable it is upon release.

Laptop choices

If you’re purchasing a new laptop soon, your choice is between Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. For larger organizations, this selection represents a no-win situation. Even small firms often buy several computers at a time rather than replacing their entire inventory. This means, as in your situation, you have some computers running Windows 95 and others that will have either Windows 98 or Windows NT.

Supporting different computers with different operating systems, at best, can be frustrating. If you’re not connecting your computer to others and do not have good technical support, I would lean toward Windows 98 at this time. Later this year, after Windows 2000 has been out and can be assessed, I might lean in that direction. Your decision rests, in part, on when you want to buy.

According to Glasser, “NT 5 (Windows 2000) is supposed to be a dramatic improvement over NT 4 and a replacement for Windows 98 at the business level. However, it remains to be seen whether businesses will abandon 98 in favor of NT 5. New software will not be expressly written for NT 5. I believe if the letter-writer buys a notebook with Windows 98, he’ll be able to buy new software for years to come. If he wants to wait until the end of 1999 to buy a notebook, I would probably have a better opinion on NT 5 over 98.

“Microsoft is supposed to be positioning the new NT 5 as a replacement on the desktop as well as the server for businesses. So, while NT 4 would be overkill, NT 5 might not be. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft reduces the price of the workstation version of NT. Currently Microsoft charges double the cost of Windows 98 for NT Workstation. If the price of the new version NT 5 for Workstations is not reduced, Microsoft will be making millions and millions of extra dollars.”

Outdated?

You mentioned in your question you didn’t want to invest in Windows 98 software if it will become outdated within a short period. Well, it’s time to face reality. There’s an old expression that is even more true today than when I heard it many years ago: “If you can buy it, it’s already obsolete.” Just as we are starting to buy computers with Windows 98, Microsoft already is working on the next version.

Most hardware is viable for at least 18 months. Laptops are out of date even faster than desktop units. At the pace technology is being developed and improved, you no longer can count on holding onto computers for more than two or three years. It’s also become more important to stay relatively current with your software or you will find the transition to the new version more traumatic and costly.

In the current environment, you can count on experiencing “buyer’s remorse” with any technology purchase. Two years ago, I upgraded all the systems in my office. I got a new desktop unit — a P200 with 64 MB of RAM and my assistant got a P166 with 64 MB of RAM. They each came with 2-GB drives. A few months after we upgraded the desktops, I bought a new laptop — a P133 with 24 MB of RAM and a 2-GB drive. While they are all working well and run most programs I need, I already am running out of space and am frustrated by the lack of speed. Some of the newer versions of programs like Timeslips 9 (which I would not recommend installing for a few more months until the kinks are removed) require a minimum of a P166. And forget about using voice recognition software on any of my current crop of computers. The reality — and I have to face it again myself — is that it is time to upgrade.

Lawyers, to stay competitive, must plan on regular upgrades of both hardware and software. Years ago, I recommended that people buy as much computer as they could afford. With the current pace of change, I now think it’s smarter to go for the middle price range and get an improvement over your current inventory without spending a premium for computers that will be equally out of date within two years.

Carol L. Schlein is president of Law Office Systems, a Montclair-based training and consulting firm specializing in law firms. She formerly chaired the Computer and Technology Division of the ABA Law Practice Management Section. A lecturer for ICLE, she can be reached at (973) 746-6454 or carol@losinc.com.

Questions for Carol Schlein on law office technology may be faxed to New Jersey Lawyer at (732) 750-0010 or mailed to “Law Technology Questions,” New Jersey Lawyer, Koll Corporate Plaza, 485B Route 1, Suite 100, Iselin, N.J. 08830.