Y2K refers to the Year 2000 and the problems that are expected by some people to be caused by some computers that use only the last two digits of the year to express the date. This is expected to cause “minimal” to “catastrophic” problems depending on who you talk to, The potential problem is proposed to happen on New Years Eve at midnight at exactly the beginning of the year 2000 on January 1st. It is possible that some problems might be caused by computer systems that suddenly think that the time progression has suddenly stepped back by 100 years from the end of 1999 (represented by the digits 99) to the beginning of year 1900 (represented by the digits 00). This might only be a problem if there is some extremely time sensitive item being calculated, such as maybe interest calculations or mortgage payments or time sensitive spatial relationships, but these should be able to be resolved quite easily and then will cease to exist after that one brief moment.

All computers, the PC computer included, have a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) that controls the very most basic system functions of the computer. This BIOS program resides on a special computer chip which maintains information about the basic configuration of the computer, interrupts, available hardware and the current date. The chip has a built-in timer which the software uses to constantly count time for use in determining such things as the relative age of computer files to prevent older stuff from overwriting newer stuff.

The time keeping capabilities and the memory sizes of the BIOS chips have evolved over the history of the computer. Twenty or 30 years ago the programmers were constrained by a very limited memory space on the BIOS chip. Two digits of extra computer memory were considered to be able to be saved by using only the last two digits of the year. Furthermore, 20 or 30 years ago, those old computers and those older BIOS chips were expected to be replaced in much less than 30 years. Unfortunately, many of the older, bigger, more expensive computers have not been replaced and, in even many of the replacements, the older BIOS (Basic Input Output System) has not changed.

Medicalibration software has consistently used the full four digits of the year in any presentation or calculation. Furthermore, any calculations performed by the Medicalibration programs are displayed for your acceptance.

The only real time sensitive parameters for dose calculations are any calculations that rely on radioactive decay. The decay is calculated from the time from the initial calibration to the current date. If we suddenly loose 100 years, the activity calculated will increase above the original calibration value. Medicalibration even checks for that impossibility and stops the calculations and requires you to reset the BIOS clock to the current date. Furthermore, every time you restart the computer, the PC3D programs ask you to confirm the date the first time you use the planning programs for any calculations that require the use of the current date, such as for Cobalt-60 machines or High Dose Rate afterloaders. If you do not have either of these two therapy modalities, it really makes no difference what the computer thinks the date is.

The BIOS clock might be compared to an electric wrist watch in that it requires power to be able to calculate the current time. Like an electric wrist time piece, the BIOS continually uses a very minimal amount of electrical power. The PC computers derive this power from a battery, just like the electric wrist watch. Like any battery, the power eventually will be used up. Newer computers use a very tiny NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium) rechargeable battery to provide this power and this battery is recharged every time the computer is turned on. All PC computers provided by Medicalibration now use these NiCad battery sustained motherboard BIOS chips.

Just like your wrist watch, there are normal situations (non-Y2K situations) which require resetting the clock. Obviously, if the battery needs to be replaced, the BIOS clock (like an electric wrist watch) will have to be reset. If the motherboard of the computer is upgraded, the BIOS clock will need to be reset. If the outside world changes time, (goes back and forth between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time) you may want to reset the BIOS clock to match the current local time. If you take your laptop computer across time zones, you may want to reset the BIOS clock. Some of the older BIOS clocks were also not so precise and may have required occasional resetting of the time. In all cases, very much like a normal electric wrist watch.

Newer computers rarely (if ever, when routinely used) require new batteries and as you might have already noticed, newer operating systems can automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time changes. Newer computers also generally deal with the date using the full four digits.

Resetting the BIOS time is a very simple matter for PC computer owners. The procedure can be described by any local PC computer clone maker, PC repairman or computer hardware provider who can help you reset the clock if necessary. In fact most kids who have used the computer for anything other than games probably know how to reset the clock (and even for games it’s also a handy ability to be able to defeat the expiration date of shareware games by resetting the BIOS clock). If you are really concerned, there are also downloadable programs that can check your current PC BIOS chip for the number of digits it uses for the year and can even automatically reprogram it for four digits and reset it for you if necessary.

If, on January after the start of year 2000, you notice the time is wrong (on your computer same as on your electric wrist watch), just reset the clock and the problem is gone forever (or until you need a new battery -- or until the year 2100, whichever comes first).

Some computer companies are using this Y2K threat as a scare tactic in an effort to coerces you into buying a new treatment planning computer system before the end of 1999. Of course we would also like you to buy one of our computer systems this year as well, but we are telling you that any pressures put forth by other companies based on any potential Y2K problem are unnecessarily aggressive sales tactics more inclined to the needs of the company trying to sell their system than to the needs of the treatment planning computer users and their patients. (But then maybe they might know something they aren’t telling about the frailties or deficiencies of their ridiculously more expensive, non-PC based computer systems?)

Our PC3D (as well as all of our other fine computer products) stand on their own superlative merits and we don’t need to redirect your attention away from the quality of our systems by focusing on any perceived “Y2K problem” like other treatment planning system vendors might be doing. If you want the best possible treatment planning system and the highest real value and if you take a careful, honest look at our system, we are confident that the PC3D will be your choice without any Y2K scare tactics being involved..

We hope that Medicalibration has aided in putting the “Y2K problem” a little more in proper perspective: ”No more serious than your electric wrist watch” (at least for any PC based systems from Medicalibration).