Date   : Thu, 14 May 1998 15:46:33 +0200
From   : Robert Schmidt <rsc@...>
Subject: Re: BBC computers in the Millienium

> Dave Evnull wrote:
> 
> Do you know if a BBC microcomputer will work in the year2000
> 
> Tim Ross
> 
> 
> timothy.ross@...


Hi, Tim!

I don't see any reason why they should not.  The BBC model B didn't have
a BIOS clock, so for programs that depended on today's date and time,
you have to manually enter them every time after resetting the computer.

I think the BBC Master series does have a BIOS clock, however.  Whether
it supports year 2000 and above, I don't know.  My *guess* is that it
does without problems.

I've forwarded this reply to the BBC micro mailing list, I'm sure
somebody there can be of more help.  They might even be more amused than
I was to get this question... :-)

About the Y2K-problem in general, there is seldom a problem with the
computers or their BIOS clocks.  They usually store the year as a the
number of years (say 0-255) from a certain reference year (say 1970). 
More often, it is the software written for the computers which is poorly
designed, typically working only with the two least significant digits
of the year number.  When dates beyond 2000 are fed to these programs,
miscalculations are likely to occur because of this.  I expect such
programs for the BBC to be quite rare.

--
Robert Schmidt <rsc@...       >
Software Developer / Vingmed Sound tel +47 67124237 fax +47 67124355
Private tel +47 22606076 WWW http://www.nvg.unit.no/~rsc

    jeg lukker et oye og ser halvt
    jeg  lukker begge  og ser  alt            -- seigmen