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Technology Stocks : 2000 Date-Change Problem: Scam, Hype, Hoax, Fraud -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (1237)	3/12/1999 2:17:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1361

Thanks Jeff, Most people didn't catch this tho. Cheeky Kid was comparing apples and oranges. I talked about "systems". The Giga guy talked about "chips". Cheeky's a PC guy and doesn't understand embedded systems. FROM CHEEKY KID: Alistair Stewart, a senior advisor for Giga on embedded systems, said that only about 3% of CHIPS have been found to have minor problems, typically requiring resetting the date or restarting a device. Maybe they should talk to CK Houston and be filled in how serious the embedded CHIP problem really is. I don't believe she would believe these numbers... QUOTES AND POSTS FROM C.K. HOUSTON: - This is what will bring us to out knees - Embedded SYSTEMS - Electrical engineers need to fix - NOT programmers. - Not enough electrical engineers. Not enough time - 5% embedded SYSTEMS will fail - which 5%? ... No one knows. ========================================= WHAT IS AN EMBEDDED SYSTEM: techstocks.com EASY TO UNDERSTAND EXPLANATION: Why this is SO complex The embedded system Year 2000 Problem with core infrastructures concerns equipment with embedded control devices used by utilities (power, gas, water, phone company equipment) that will operate improperly (causing equipment failure or worse) after the turn of the century, or in some cases after 1/1/1999 or even earlier dates ... A piece of equipment may appear as a black box to an end-user, but contains upon inspection, a multitude of "black boxes" (smaller embedded systems) from different vendors inside it. [Each of these black boxes can contain numerous CHIPS.] Furthermore, inside some of those smaller "black boxes," they may contain themselves a multitude of tinier "black boxes" from still different vendors and so on. Each "black box" can have up to ten layers of technology.... y2ktimebomb.com OIL RIG EXAMPLE Typical rig can contain about 10,000 CHIPS ... which are EMBEDDED in 100-150 SYSTEMS To: Robin S. Messing (601 ) From: C.K. Houston Jan 2 1999 12:58PM ET *You do not have to check billions of [embedded] systems to see where the problems lie.* TOTALLY agree with you. While there are "billions" of CHIPS, there are only "millions" of SYSTEMS containing these chips. This was clarified by Harlan Smith, on this thread about 6 months ago. Message 7072644 Year 2000 (Y2K) Embedded Systems & Infrastructure Problem Cheryl

To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (1237)	3/12/1999 2:33:00 PM
From: Cheeky Kid	Respond to of 1361

>>>Does that make everyone who listened to and quoted these experts part of some big conspiracy to cause mass hysteria..<<< NO, there are people that STILL think the embedded problem is the straw that will break the camels back. Some think people like Peter de Jager (Y2K expert) are being paid to say Y2K won't be that bad. I just don't buy into the doom and gloom. Of course there will be problems. With the millions and millions of computers out there, how could there not be any problems from Y2K? If Microsoft said Windows 2000 would NOT have any bugs, that would be ridiculous. There are bugs in software we use everyday. Products fail everyday. Just look at the number of dead products on any warranty depots shelf. Products software, hardware, etc...fail every day, NOT because of Y2K. Just watch, when the Y2K bugs start rolling in, the doomers are going to say, we told you so. They will make a mountain out of a molehill. In my opinion, Y2K is just a bump in the road of life. I am not taking any extra precautions for it. The only thing I am doing is looking for buying opportunities in the market. If it tanks from Y2K panic, I will be buying. Maybe next year I may buy a used (never used) Generator, why? Because the papers will be full of generators for sale that have never been used. And I don't believe I will be paying much either. Supply vs Demand