I realize ClamWin does not have on-access real-time protection (other antivirus programs do, but they call them "resident shields"). Are there any future plans at all, in the near or distant future, for such on-access real-time protection, or resident shield?

In a way I am hoping that they stay as they are, as perhaps if they go down the road of resident shield then they may not want to keep supporting windows 98 as they do now.

This is the reason why Avast are dropping support for the older operating systems because of new technology that older systems won't be able to cope with.