Several issues surround Y2K, including software that will not recognize dates expressed with four-digit years, embedded chips which may malfunction, internal system clocks with certain limitations, and a multitude of other circumstances which may complicate our usage of technology. For example, the Year 1998 is represented as 98 in computer code. Another component of the date-change problem is the fact that the year 2000 is a leap year, while 1900 was not. These disruptions will affect both information technology and embedded systems. The differences in coding may not seem like a big deal, but the machines of today are extremely date-sensitive.
Computers routinely use dates to do arithmetic, sort, and make varieties of logical calculations.
Dates are used to determine the freshness of foods, assess how much interest you have accrued on your savings account, and even tell when prisoners are eligible for parole. If computers cannot correctly interpret the Year 2000, a number of difficulties may surface. Your VCR, television, microwave, and other appliances have an embedded chip inside to run the mechanism. Any piece of equipment with an embedded chip has the potential for failure on January 1, 2000.