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For those of you who have not heard, more and more things are running
into Y2K problems.  (Year 2000 problems)

It seems that some not-so-obvious systems have been hit by this too.
After hearing about a guidance system problem (GPS based) I thought
that this could hit almost anyone...  and it did!

        The real reason why Windows97 will be late

        Microsoft had quietly slipped the Windows97 release by over
        6 months a few weeks ago stating all sorts of reasons from
        channel delivery timing to corporate hesitation to jump
        into yet another major release.

        However, upon further digging, it was found out that Microsoft
        marketing was bitten by the Y2K problem.  Windows95, named
        for the year of its release, and the upcoming Windows97 likewise
        named for the year of its planned release both suffer from
        the classic Y2K problem.  Marketing officials claim that they
        had just noticed this problem after having, the night before,
        laughed at Citibank and the problems they had with credit card
        expiration dates after 1999.

        One unnamed official stated that he walked into his office
        and noticed all of the posters, flyers, and other Windows95
        and prototype Windows97 materials and nearly cried.  It was
        at this point that marketing first really took to heart how
        pervasive this Y2K problem really was.

        Initial attempts to change from Windows97 to Windows1997
        proved to be flawed due to limits on the sizes of store
        banners and box size.  They did not want to reduce the type
        size but they did not have the room to fit in the complete
        year designation.

        Some people argued that they were fine and that by the time
        Windows00 came out everyone would already know that it really
        was not 0 but 2000.  However, market testing showed that
        people did not want Windows00 when they already had Windows 3.1
        or Windows95.

        Thus, in an unpresidented move, the marketing department delayed
        the Windows97 product release until a proper solution could
        be found.  One person was claimed to have said that Windows98
        will not happen unless they really can not find a solution,
        at which point they would be less than 500 days from the magic
        date when "all other systems will fail and the world will
        stop...  At least we will following an industry standard for 
        once."

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