Jo22 wrote on Yesterday, 13:53:

Another problem with SSE2 is OS support, things like context-switching (XMM registers). Windows 98SE, for example, was released […]
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zapbuzz wrote on Yesterday, 06:19:

Doesn't matter what processor, OS or web browser if it doesn't support SSE2 instructions there is no modern web support possible because nobody knows SSE they just copy each others SSE2 code. Think of all the old machines online if someone wrote SSE code. Then there’s older CPU's without SSE good luck with that!
IRC still works but with secure sockets on the rise soon there will be nothing there too.
Old browser compatible web sites are almost non existent because of the abuse.

Another problem with SSE2 is OS support, things like context-switching (XMM registers).
Windows 98SE, for example, was released when x87, MMX, 3DNow! and SSE were known.
SSE2 support is not natively available to such OSes.
Applications would need to take care of it themselves.
Hm, maybe an SSE2 emulation could be integrated at kernel level?
Unofficial Mac OS X distros had SSEx emulators for compatibility reasons.

CPU extensions never used to be relied on but that changed direction just about everything can be coded without these extensions its harder and boomers used to talk about the real CPU value without them. I would imagine there'd be a lot of attention for persons who do it.