The Year 2000: Biggest Tech Story of 1999

Computer Life column for January 9, 1999
by
Richard Gordon

Last week, I promised to do some hi-tech crystal ball gazing.

Have you seen people poking at tiny computers that fit in the palm of one hand? These Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and palm-top computers are not as ubiquitous as pagers, but 1999 may be the year that PDAs move into the mainstream.

Some road warriors like their laptop computers, particularly compared with the "luggable" portables of a decade ago. But lots of business people have found that a PDA or a palmtop computer is all they need for note-taking, calendaring, and e-mail. Besides, even the lightest laptop gets bulky once you put the computer, accessories, and your work into the carrying case. And they are so much more expensive than comparable desk-top systems.

As more people learn how easy it can be to transfer data back and forth between a PDA and a desktop computer, high-tech marketing geniuses will figure out that they can sell "portable information accessories" as easily as they sold image scanners and digital cameras last year. In fact, PDAs or their palm-top computer cousins may be next holiday season's big gift. PTA moms, little league dads--everyone, not just business travellers--will want them.

My second prediction is that 1999 will be the year when one or more of the utility companies serving New Castle County finally delivers high-speed (faster than 56K) Internet access to residential customers at a reasonable price. Currently, you can get an ISDN connection to an Internet provider--if you're willing to pay lots of dollars per month.

Both Suburban Cable and Bell Atlantic promise that 1999 will be the year in which they make high-speed access to the Internet more widely available.

How the new technologies are implemented will affect the exact speeds and prices offered. But if Internet shopping is ever going to become as routine as going to the grocery store, higher speed connections will need to be as common and inexpensive as cable TV.

The biggest story of the year is the Y2K problem.

Governments, universities, hospitals, large financial institutions, most utility companies, and other large corporations are working very hard to make the transition a smooth one. However, several published reports indicate that only a third of small businesses have even begun to plan for the year 2000.

In some cases, the required fixes are time-consuming. And some things won't get fixed in time. Every computer, program, data file that uses dates, and lots of machines with microchips should be checked.

However, if we all remain calm and do our part, the biggest story of the year will be how we rose to the occasion and beat the problem in time.

Tip of the week

Y2K

Will your computer know that the day after December 31, 1999, is January 1, 2000?

Nearly all Apple Macintosh computers and most--but not all--Windows machines from the past 4 years should ring in the year 2000 just fine. But it wouldn't hurt to check your system.

DOS and Windows computers keep track of the date in two separate places. DOS and Windows keep track of the date by counting the days since January 4, 1980, and, therefore, should make the change correctly.

But the BIOS date (also called the "CMOS Real Time Clock"), may not change correctly: It actually consists of four fields, one each for day, month, year, and century. Some computers may need their owners' help in getting the century to change from 19 to 20.

Lots of software can help you check and fix your computer's handling of the year 2000. Yahoo lists several shareware solutions (dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Year_2000_Problem/Software/Shareware), and commercial packages are also available. For example, the University of Delaware uses TF2000, from Boxware, Inc (www.boxwareinc.com).

Copyright © 1999, The News Journal Company

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