In the early 1980s, inexpensive personal computers appeared in the business environment and on the desks of key staff members, from the chief executive officer to the storeroom clerk. These personal computers had internal clocks and often ran spreadsheet or database software that had been customized using for the most part the two-digit year convention. Computers also began morphing into other forms, appearing in such diverse environments as automotive subsystems, household appliances, industry tools, and medical equipment. These hybrid (often referred to as “embedded”) systems often were programmed with software on a silicon chip that kept track of time or dates using the twodigit convention.