Let me preface this with the standard "I'm not a computer expert either",
but from what I've heard from those that claim to be the experts, the
problem is a combination of older BIOS chips and programs that use only the
last two digits of the year (even if you enter the complete year). When
calculations or projections are made using the date the BIOS would
automatically add the "1900" to the year, so that 03/10/98 becomes
03/10/1998. But when we get to 2000 the date of 03/10/00 (for 2000) becomes
03/10/1900 (actually I've heard that the year 2000 comes up as 1940, or some
other non - 1900 year in a non Y2K BIOS), but either way if you were to
project maturity of bonds, for example, through the year 2010, instead of a
12 year calculation (2010 - 1998), the program would compute a negative 88
(1910 - 1998) or negative 58 (1940 - 1998) year calculation, whichever the
case may be.
I have been led to believe, right or wrong, that programs that store the
entire date will not have this problem. Of course, this explanation still
does not account for the change in Leap Year dates. Will the older BIOS
remain in the sync with Leap Year or will the change now fall on one of the
other three years?
Anybody know for sure what will happen? And, does anyone know how one can
determine if he has a Y2K compatible BIOS?
>Unless the 1000MP contains date text, (mainly a clock) and is Programed
>in COBOL or one of the other software languages, there should be no
>problem. Heart Pacemakers are just a computer chip that is on a quarts
>clock that sends a steady beat, no date text in them. So year 2000 will
>come and go and there will be no problem. Same with any radio that you
>bought today yesterday and 50 years ago with a CPU in them. The computer
>software that controls them from our 486, 586 and 686 computers (and
>probably 786 in 2000) may have a problem.
>
>Adam KB2GEG
73,
Jack - N2JT
e-mail: n2jt@fast.net
packet: N2JT@W3BI.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
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