Rebirth of the Tech Madman

Due to the influence of Tang Huan, the start time of the chess plan was slightly advanced, but under the influence of Tang Huan, the actual progress of the chess plan was slightly lagging behind, so the time scale of the original time and space was not much different.

The reason is that the wide variety of function expansion cards developed by Zheru, especially the program code in the read-only memory attached above, has brought certain troubles to the technical elites of ibm.

The term "personal computer" was first used in computers developed by the Xerox Center in 1972, and it has become quite popular so far.

The rise of personal computers is closely related to the characteristic cultural phenomena in the United States, such as counter-mainstream. Other countries can even copy ibmsystem/360 and other mainframes, which shows that everyone does not lack elites and technology.

In view of the economic situation of the first large group of avant-garde groups, the first thing that needs to be solved is the cost issue if personal computers that oppose the privileges of mainframes are to be recognized among them.

At this point, computers are not good, and ibm's ibm5100 launched in 1975 is not good. The basic model with memory b is priced at about 9,000 US dollars, which is unacceptable by the bitter public, and is recognized as the first personal computer. , The price of the finished product is around US$500.

In short, the big IT companies at this time are accustomed to relying on high-end products to maintain profits, and a personal computer like a toy has only a business model of small profits but quick turnover. Their motivation is naturally insufficient.

Since the traditional design process of ibm before. It has been proven that it cannot be used to design cheap microcomputers. Then the chess plan project team with a special mission was allowed to bypass ibm's corporate rules and provide a market product quickly.

At the beginning, the chess project team considered using the ibm801 processor and the operating system developed for the processor by the ibm research laboratory in York City Heights.

The 801 processor is at least an order of magnitude more powerful than Intel cpu, and the supporting operating system is also at least several years more advanced than operating systems such as cp/m.

But working together in the huge ibm of the organization does not have the convenience of getting a month from the water, and various application reports and other procedures have gone down. Maybe it will be the year of the monkey.

It is said that ibm products will have to wait at least two years after the design is approved before they can go on the market; a more pessimistic view is that it usually takes five years.

This shows that the blue giant's mature and serious attitude.

Strive to achieve a "fast" chess plan project team, can only ignore ibm's internal solutions to avoid many internal procedures that may delay the schedule, thereby greatly reducing its work difficulties.

Fortunately, ibm had a failed project called "datamaster" that adopted intel8080 in 1978, which is quite meaningful. It's just that it has actually been formulated with a price of up to 20,000 US dollars, a black line that makes everyone's mind.

then. They simply put all their attention on the outside of ibm, especially those personal computers that have already achieved success in the market: Apple, Dondy, Compost, Atari... all types of personal computers will be bought back and dismantled. Open and study it carefully.

The ibm elites quickly discovered that the CPUs used in these products are divided into two categories: Intel’s intel8080 and z80; Motorola’s and Z80, where z80 and the engineers who split from the intel8080 and R&D personnel are separately engaged An improved version of.

If only considering the cost, the respective Motorola series have more advantages than the Intel series, but ibm, which has been battered by several anti-market monopoly lawsuits, is already very vigilant about various patent disputes that may fall into it.

As a result, He went straight out, and due to the maturity and popularity of the cp/m operating system born on the intel8080 architecture, Intel was finally sent to the palace by the draft.

After determining the core microprocessor, the Xiangqi project team began to design the overall system. At this time, the open slot and the exquisite cooperation of the Zheru function expansion card, and the powerful functions provided by them, caused them to feel strong. interest.

This year, Zheru’s latest function expansion card is the sound card, and the mouse function expansion card is the next. These technical achievements have made ibm technical elites amazed and agreed to include these functions into the chess plan.

Since it is a research, private reverse engineering is inevitable. The Xiangqi Project team discovered from this process that Zheru’s function expansion card will cover the underlying hardware with an extremely delicate abstraction written in assembly language. The functional layer is stored in read-only memory.

According to Zheru's public product information, this hardware abstraction function layer, called that, can be used by partners for programming.

The technical elites of ibm were screaming at the realization of such technology, and then decided to extend this idea to the level of the entire computer.

In this way, the Xiangqi project team was confused by Philosopher's new technical realization skills, and before not knowing it, the progress was delayed a bit.

However, all of these ibm technical elites are not simple. Once they understand the implementation principle, the next thing is too simple for them.

The project leader, Bill Lowo, is naturally confident of the elite soldiers handpicked by himself. And the result is the same. After passing the technology reference and research phase. The progress of the project quickly caught up.

However, after seeing the latest information collected on the latest developments in the personal computer industry, everyone feels as if they were beaten up and dizzy. Zheru has already registered so many personal computer-related patents?

Liu Ogbrecht, the chief system designer of the chess project team, pulled out a page of information from the file and shook it, "I can be sure that Zheru is developing the next generation of personal computers. The patent of the isa bus is only From the short description, it can be inferred that the computer used to connect the open slot and the function expansion card originally adopted the bus structure called s100, but in recent years, no one seems to go. I just focused on this technology, but unfortunately, we happened to use it."

"In this way, patent disputes are very likely to occur. Why not report to the above as soon as possible." An engineer suggested.

Bill Lowo shook his head, "My earliest plan was to directly buy computers made by other manufacturers. It was sold under the ibm brand, but it was rejected on the grounds that ibm must have its own personal computer. It can be seen that, What is the thinking of the senior management. If I report the possibility of such a patent dispute now, what if I receive an instruction to suspend the project?"

"Then our project team's situation is even more dangerous." Hearing this analysis, everyone talked a lot, with a worried look on their faces.

Compared with the huge ibm, their project team, which was distributed in the frontier and hailed as a tribute to the Silicon Valley garage entrepreneurial myth, is just unremarkable grit. ibm does not know how many similar project teams need to be revoked every month, as long as the management The committee is not satisfied, even if it has the privilege of reporting directly to the president, it may not be spared.

This research and development project finally got the official designation of the "Chess Project", and the machine they are developing also has the internal code of "". Everyone enthusiastically wants this microcomputer to miraculously change the future of ibm. As a result, he can gain both fame and fortune, and his fame will go down in history. Of course, he can't accept the ending halfway.

"If it doesn't work, let's go and get in touch with the philosopher."

"The project has already progressed to this level. What we want to do so much, even if we have to fight a patent lawsuit, our own seniors will wipe their butts and pretend they don't know this."

Everyone has different opinions, and they are inconsistent. Obviously, these elites have developed one set of techniques one after another, but when it comes to playing business wars intriguingly, it is a typical novice.

However, Bill Lowo, who has entered an ascending channel in ibm and has an infinitely bright future, does not belong to this category.

He pondered for a while, and finally made a decision, "Yes, we just pretended not to know this. In order to fight antitrust lawsuits, the company has so many lawyers, but it is not a vegetarian."

Speaking of which, Bill Lowo threw the documents in front of him to the center of the table, "Throw these materials into the shredder. Don't be affected by any **** patents. You should still work according to the original plan and speed up. "

After scanning his colleagues, Bill Lowo slowed down, "I will ask the president to disclose a few words about our project to the outside world, which is considered to be an early advertisement and appetite. After all, many companies in Silicon Valley always It’s not a rare thing to engage in the trick of releasing a product before it’s finished research and development, so as to collect the advance payment. Of course, we are not for the purpose of collecting money, but to keep a piece of evidence. Our isa bus with Zheru appeared. The time is close, and there is no question of who is plagiarizing whom. In this way, everyone will not be so stressed. What do you think?"

"Will the president agree?" Liu Ogbrecht asked worriedly. He has put great effort into this project, and he is most concerned about gains and losses.

"Our chess plan project team was originally allowed to bypass the company's existing rules." Bill Lowo showed a sly smile on his face, "not to mention that the company has already begun to circulate the gossip about the chess plan. Top secret."

Seeing the self-confident Bill Lowo’s head is right, everyone nodded in conviction, and a thought flashed in their hearts, "The rumors that Lowo is going to be promoted really have a reason, and it’s worthy of it with this kind of commanding style. Being so valued by the senior management."

…

West Coast, California. Silicon Valley. Sunnyvale. Atari headquarters.

Ray Casa accompanied Warner President Steve Ross to inspect the company and returned to the office.

"I only saw a personal computer, yes, what about the next generation of game consoles?" Steve Rose looked unhappy.

"The third version of Atari 2600 is ready to be launched..." Ray Casa began to sweat on his forehead.

"I'm talking about the next generation of game consoles, not the optimized version of the current Atari 2600." Steve Rose interrupted the other party unceremoniously.

"Since Bushnell left, many technical backbones have also left, so in the development of the next generation of game consoles. The progress is slightly behind, but the Atari 400/800 personal computer is very good, and the game performance is also very good. For a while, ibm has taken a fancy, intending to make us its oem." Ray Casa, who was being trained, explained unwillingly.

"Then what do you do now? Watching the Cassidy game console eagerly make a lot of money?" Steve Rose stared at Ray Casar.

Ray Casa was about to be overwhelmed by the pressure of the king's boss exuding from his boss, so he could only bite the bullet and continue to explain, "This is also something that can't be helped. Originally, we were the same as the king's game console. , Do not need to open your own game platform. The most important source of profit is completely in your hands, but the technical backbones who have left know the hardware details of the Atari 2600. They even set up a company called Activision. The game development company specializes in the production of Atari 2600 games. I am going to sue them and make a good start for charging licensing fees in the future."

"How much money can this make?" Steve Rose snorted angrily. "Speaking of which, it is nothing more than some so-called difficulties. You are a professional manager. In addition to complaining, just take Can't there be a solution?"

"Of course." Ray Casa hastily switched the bitter melon face to a flattering smile. "At present, the arcade business has not been greatly affected. As long as the home game console speeds up the launch of games and maintains the status quo, then the company as a whole The profitability is still good. After the next-generation game console Atari 5200 is successfully developed, we will be able to fully control the game console platform by just a small measure that is not compatible with the current Atari 2600. However, This process takes time."

"Then how long do you think it will take?" Seeing that this subordinate was almost forced, Steve Rose slowed down.

"It's about a year." Ray Casa looked at his boss pitifully, "When the Atari 2600 was first developed, you should have heard of the degree of difficulty."

Although Steve Rose is a commercial hero, he is a great mallet in terms of high technology. Basically, what Ray Casa said, he has to believe it, but when he thinks that it will take a year as long, he Just a hundred claws to scratch your heart, wouldn't the Xiaobawang game console make a profit?

"Could it be that this little bully game console is really so unstoppable?" Steve Rose's tone was obviously jealous.

Ray Casa spread his hands helplessly, "Engineers like Bushnell who started their business in Silicon Valley often have excellent technical capabilities, but company management is in a mess. But Tang Huan is an exception. His Cupertino headquarters has expanded extremely rapidly. , But it has always been running in an orderly manner. It is said that Intel’s Andy Grove has been there a few times, and he admired the orderly regulations there. No, I just got a reliable news, ea’s game "Donkey Kong "The heat is still there, and the sequel "Mario" is about to be released. This summer vacation is almost everyone's home."

Steve Rose took the file in Ray Casa's hand and glanced at it casually, ""Donkey Kong"? Why is this name so familiar?"

"Didn't you think of the movie "King Kong"?" Ray Casa said with a dry smile.

"Yes, it's the movie." Steve Rose's eyes lit up, Huo Di stood up, and walked out, while dropping a sentence, "No need to send me, think carefully about how to do the work at hand."

Boss, why did you take away the files?

Ray Casa opened his mouth subconsciously, then closed it quickly.

Forget it, just send this great **** away.

…

On Friday, August 1, the third stop of Deng Lijun's second round of North American tour began at the San Francisco Municipal Auditorium.

This indoor stage was built in 1915. The National Congress of the American Democratic Party was held here in 1920. From 1964 to 1967, it was the home court of the NBA Golden State Warriors basketball team.

This performance not only shows Deng Lijun's star appeal, but also reflects the local reputation that Tang Huan has worked so hard for more than a year.

With the secret support of Tang Huan, the newspaper basically covered the Fang's newspaper industry in the entire San Francisco Bay Area. uukanshu.com spared no effort to launch a comprehensive promotion.

Live performances at Lincoln Center in New York and Los Angeles Music Center, UNICEF’s appointment of goodwill ambassadors, press conferences, and cultural exchange medals awarded by assistant mayors of the two metropolises... A series of photos show Deng Lijun’s recent public activities. In front of the local Chinese.

As a result, today has almost become a Chinese festival, with a lot of excitement. The San Francisco Police Department has specially stepped up patrols for this purpose, and the San Francisco Municipal Auditorium, which can accommodate 7,000 spectators, is full of seats.

These audiences, mainly from San Francisco, or Oakland, and other places in the Bay Area, and even chasing from Los Angeles, the stage is full of flowers they sent.

There is also an exaggeration. In addition to the local Chinese media, TTV also sent an interview team from Treasure Island all the way, but was stunned by the enthusiasm.

How can a singer who has been banned for more than a year come back with such high popularity? (To be continued...)

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