Re: Apple Inc. says Apple II OK w/year 2000

[johnlb@primenet.com (John Bowling)]

In article <59ihli$ajg@cwis-20.wayne.edu>,
Avi Drissman <adrissmn@gopher.science.wayne.edu> wrote:
>This _is_ getting rather sad when I jump when Apple mentions the Apple II,
>but see
>
><http://product.info.apple.com/pr/letters/1997/961210.pr.ltrs.macos2000.html>
>
>Here's the relevant part:
>
>Before introducing the Macintosh, Apple delivered several models of the
>Apple
>               II computer, a number of which are still in use today. The
>ability of Apple II
>               computers to handle dates after the year 2000 vary by
>model. For example, an
>               Apple IIgs, running System 6.0 or later and GS-specific
>software, should have
>               no problems with dates beyond the year 2000; whereas users
>of an Apple IIgs
>               systems running 8-bit applications will need to load ProDOS
>8 Version 2.0 or
>               later to ensure that the applications continue to handle
>those dates correctly. The
>               Apple II, II+, IIe, IIc, and IIc+ do not have a system
>clock, but third-party
>               clocks are available that can correctly handle the year
>2000 and beyond.
>
>I'm sure that this is nothing new to everyone here, but it's good for the
>people who never dropped by or who were scared away by the flamage.

There are some problems possible with software.  If it's written in C
(possibly other languages also) and uses time routines, it does not
know what century it is.  It's up to the programmer to have written
the software in a way that makes it select the correct century.  Some
software will still be saying 19.. after 1999 is over.  I would expect
anything written before 1990 to have this problem, and some written
after that.  If there is source available, they can easily be fixed.

John


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