Message-ID: <19981217132121.AAA24181@LOCALNAME> Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 09:18:59 -0400 From: Kerry Miller <mailto:kerryo@NS.SYMPATICO.CA> Subject: Re: Y2K & Computers To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Gordon,You wrote earlier: { { I cannot recommend any of { { the RTC cards or BIOS upgrades being sold. ...
Now you seem to be saying that you cannot recommend anyone being in a position to consider using an RTC card or BIOS upgrade, which (while I agree) is a rather different matter:
{ In general, the total cost/benefit of replacing a PC is much lower than that { of upgrading, if labor has cost. Upgrading individual components rarely { produces significant performance improvements or significantly extend the { life of the PC.
No silk purses from sow's ears here, eh?
In addition, they often produce unwanted side effects.
Really, *all of them*?
{ Intel 80386 and 80486 are fully depreciated and cannot support current { software. In most situations, there is little chance existing software will { remain useful, and these computers will continue to operate reliably, for { another three to four years.
It's a terrible world we live in, but some of us poor folks get by with software that is 5 years old or more. (Isnt that the problem?)
{ In addition, the Y2K hardware and software market should be approached with { caution. Faulty testing software may be used to produce false results to { convince customers to invest in unnecessary products and services. Customers { should consult testing software from several independent sources, and should { test remedial products thoroughly before deploying on a large scale. { Yes, I agree, if you don't know whether you have a problem, you probably shouldnt be trying to fix it, or relying on somebody else to fix it, or even diagnosing it.
{ If Y2K compliance in a 386 or 486 PC is mission-critical, most organizations { would be wiser to invest in replacing it with a computer that can run { current software and that may continue to be useful beyond Y2K.
Granted, the long-term solution is always better. (Thats why Apple Corp has done so well!)
{ If Y2K { compliance is not critical, then the clock can be corrected manually, and { the PC used until it stops working, or becomes useless because it cannot { support necessary software. { Finally we get to the ROU (rest of us, the other 90%) who might be considering a short term fix, just to save ourselves embarassment when they forget to set their clock in the morning. For us, can you recommend any of the RTC cards or BIOS upgrades?
kerry