IBM/XT Y2K Compliancy

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
Date: Sat Aug 7 19:41:20 1999

At 11:57 PM 8/7/99 +0100, Tony wrote:
>Now, you may choose to run an OS (as most users did) which has problems
>with dates past 31/12/1999. But that's an OS problem, not a hardware or
>firmware problem.

Tony, I understand the point you are making. There is nothing to prevent
you from putting a Year 2000 ready application (be it Operating system or
dedicated control program) on the hardware (even AT hardware if it knows
what to look out for).

My only point is that if you are using the software that came with the
computer (PC-DOS 1.0 - 3.2 for the XT and through 6.0 for the AT) then the
complete package (AS A UNIT (sorry to shout)) isn't compliant.

It is important to make that distinction because otherwise people will say
"I've got an application running on my PC/XT and I heard that the XT had no
problem with the year 2000 so I'm not worried about it." and yet the OS
they are running on has a big problem with Y2K. Anyway, I'm burned out on
this whole issue after having been the person at FreeGate who had to get us
Y2K _certified_ and this kind of distinction was critical. Anyone who
hasn't been through the process will get to realize the different in
another four and a half months and the argument will be moot.

--Chuck
Received on Sat Aug 07 1999 - 19:41:20 BST