System Clock doesn't keep time ... hmm

[Brangwen]

Fellow Members & Guests:

I have been using TweakMaster software to tweak my DSL speed on a Iwill XP333-R board with a XP 1900+ CPU Win98se system. TweakMaster comes with a component that syncronizes your computer's time clock (the little display at bottom right of systray) with clocks at the Naval Observatory, and other clocks a user can choose to synchronize with. Every day I get a pop-up from TweakMaster asking if I would like to syncronize my clock today. I click "yes," and it does so. My computer time is usually off between .27 seconds to about 1 second. I'm more curious than concerned: Why does the clock in ones computer loose / gain time? Is it simply that electric clocks are not accurate, say for example, like a quartz clock is?

Thx.

Brangwen

[BFlurie]

Yea, your box's internal clock isn't particularly accurate -- a second a day off isn't a problem at all.

[amdkt7]

I don't know why, but I have not had a computer that could keep time worth a hoot. I have cheap watches that keep perfect time, just a few seconds over six months. There is no reason IMO why the mobo makers don't provide any better clocks. I'm sure its a cost savings thing, but it can't be much more. I guess not enough people complain about it, like most people have real clocks to tell time

[Brangwen]

BFlurie & amdkt7:

Thanks for the responses. I didn't used to use my computer systray clock for time keeping. However directly after synchronizing it with the Naval Observatory's clock, I do use it to set prooper time on "time reference" clocks around my crib!

Brangwen