Because a cheap quartz crystal is used, the frequency at which the crystal vibrates is less consistent then a higher quality quartz crystal. Lower-quality crystals are more affected by environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature. This causes the crystal to expand and contract on its own, thus affecting the ability to oscillate consistently. That is why a computer's clock will seem faster or slower when a laptop is left in a hot car, or the air conditioning in an office goes on the fritz. Most e-commerce companies use comparable software to ensure accurate timestamps.
Users can also go to Time.gov or the United States Naval Observatory website for the precise time.
Manufacturers of computer hardware are aware of the problems associated with time clocks, and say they are currently developing better quartz crystal chips for future models. If you compare, I would say the clock is just about a couple of seconds off each month, whereas in the past, it was minutes. Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.