I will always ask first which Windows operating system you are using. Because:

The first thing you have to know about Windows 98 is that, while it was a major stride forward in computing, it is now hopelessly out of date. Yes, it still works just fine, and Microsoft still issues updates for it (although that is ending in 2004, I think). However, most Windows software written in the last few years is optimized for newer versions of Windows, and works very slowly under 98, or not at all. More importantly, almost all new hardware (printers, scanners, webcams, etc.) use USB connectors, and 98 is woefully inadequate when it comes to USB.

USB is kind of neat because it allows you to plug in a new piece of hardware while Windows is running, and Windows sets it up without any input from you. I recall trying to install a fine hew HP colour printer for a customer using Windows 98 SP1, to no avail, even though her PC had a USB connector. Two hours and many downloads later, I had to give up.

Someone may have been able to get that printer going, but for a technician to sit at your desk for that length of time with no guarantee of satisfaction... well, that becomes a little hard to take, and a little hard on your wallet.