As the year 2000 approaches, computer users around the world are growing more concerned about how computer systems will handle the transition. The basic problem is that hardware and software using a two-digit format for the year may roll from, for example, 1999 to 1900. The good news is that for users of HP OmniBook Notebook PCs, the impact is minimal and any non-compliance on older machines is simple to resolve. What's more is that all new HP OmniBook Notebook PCs are NSTL YMARK2000 certified.

For software, HP OmniBook PC users should contact their software suppliers about the required actions to ensure that their applications will continue to run correctly in 2000. Most software vendors are already working to fix any limitations in their software.

HP has already addressed the year 2000 transition in all of its HP OmniBook Notebook PCs. HP requires all current and new products that perform date processing to pass a stringent set of corporate as well as NSTL criteria. Listed in the table below are the OmniBook models and their Year 2000 status. Compliant means that the transition to the new century will occur automatically with no customer intervention. Compliant with user interaction requires the user to load software to make their system Year 2000 compliant.. This software is available at the following URL:

http://www.hp.com/omnibook/whyomnibook/facts/compliant.html

* OmniBook 5500s with BIOS version 2.12 or later are Year 2000 compliant. For earlier BIOS versions, please go to the URL outlined above and load the Year 2000 compliance software.

Many corporate networks are configured to synchronize all PC clients’ internal clock to the date and time kept on a server. These network-connected HP OmniBook PCs would then have the date set to the correct value automatically by the server.

Several operating system vendors have already announced that their O/S will detect a date that rolls incorrectly. For example, if they detect a date of 1900, they would either prompt the user to change the date or correct it automatically.

If the date is not updated by one of the methods above, the correct date may be set on Jan 1, 2000 using the BIOS Setup menu, or the Operating System Date and Time commands.

In summary, whether the system is made Year 2000 compliant by HP or by various user actions outlined above, the end result will be a system displaying the correct date and time. Therefore, HP OmniBook Notebook PC customers should find the transition to year 2000 a very minor issue.