Rebirth of the Tech Madman

...

The reason why Fangyuan Computer’s Taiji-ii is superior in performance to Cray’s cray-2/8, which competes in the same period, is so obvious that the fundamental reason lies in the difference in supercomputer architecture design. ︾乐︾文︾小︾说|

Simply put, there are important differences in everyone's understanding and realization of "parallel".

This point is more concentrated on the most important computer component, namely the CPU-the central processing unit.

In the original time when personal computers were as popular as ordinary household appliances, microprocessors were basically equivalent to CPUs. But in fact, the development of cpu is also divided into several stages.

In the early 1970s, three R&D projects almost became the pioneers of the microprocessor industry overnight, namely Intel's intel4004, Texas Instruments' tms1000, and Garrett Alle Sage's cadc.

Because cadc is used in the main flight control computer of the U.S. Navy’s f-14 Tomcat fighter jet and is kept secret, the public only knows of Intel and Texas Instruments’ pioneering efforts.

After more than ten years of development, microprocessors have basically entered the 32-bit era, and their performance is far from comparable to the original 4-bit architecture.

However, in the process of the great development of it technology, the previous CPU implementation schemes of microprocessors-discrete transistors and integrated circuit central processing units, still have vigorous vitality, such as the cpu used in Cray's supercomputer. So it is.

The products of the new era that represent the future, of course, can’t just come to the fore, so they will wipe out mature existing products. Discrete transistors and integrated circuit CPUs have their own advantages. For example, the operating frequency can reach very high-as early as 1970. 80mhz can be achieved in the middle of the decade; after entering the 1980s, it broke through 100mhz; now it has been increased to 125mhz.

By paralleling several such arithmetic components together, a vector processor is formed. It can provide supercomputers with extremely powerful performance at present.

The cray-2/8, which Cray Company and Fangyuan Computer Company Taiji-ii compete with, uses 4 vector processors, and the high computing performance can be imagined. It's a pity that it finally fell short.

Supercomputers are inseparable from the parallel mechanism, the power of Fangyuan Computer's Taiji-ii. It is that it has its own unique and advanced realization scheme-the node method.

It uses symmetric multi-processor technology to combine the four highest-end risc processor holder-s, and corresponding coprocessors, main memory and other components into an independent arithmetic unit; then use this as the basic unit and use topology Structure network connection.

In this way, Tai Chi-ii surpasses the cray-2/8 vector processor with multiple nodes.

The entire supercomputer is a comprehensively optimized system. For example, another obvious shortcoming is the path connecting various components.

With traditional cables, a distance of a few meters will cause a delay of tens of nanoseconds. Manufacturers are carefully designing the wiring. On this basis, Tai Chi-ii also introduced the ascendant optical fiber communication technology.

Although manufacturers have differences in the specific implementation of their products, all supercomputers are a big energy consumer. For example, Tai Chi-ii's power exceeds 200 kilowatts and needs to be equipped with a special power supply system and a heat dissipation system.

The competition for the world's most powerful computer throne means a competition of creativity, organization, execution, and other abilities. There is no end to the technical competition in it.

The launch of Tai Chi-ii is just a new beginning.

Tang Huan’s focus then shifted to the development and optimization of the operating systems, compilers, and application software used by this platform.

After all, it was his own hands. There are a lot of projects such as computer animation, financial investment models, cancer and HIV drug molecular evaluation, etc., waiting for Tai Chi-ii to assist in the analysis.

However, the waves of the Shang Sea never stop. Tang Huan, who was obsessed with technology, was quickly pulled back into the real world of endless struggle.

...

After entering 1985, ibm's senior management began a new round of handover. Its CEO has changed. John Opel, who said he knew Gates’ mother, trusted Gates, and pushed the ibm-pc operating system to Microsoft to complete, retired from his position, and his successor is Another president, John Acres.

Although he was promoted, John Axe was not happy. Gein's current ibm business situation is not optimistic.

Be surpassed by the newcomer of Fangyuan Computer Company, and robbed of the throne of market value. Even if ibm is unavoidable, it still maintains a gentlemanly demeanor. Congratulations.

After all, Big Blue is an established company with more than 70 years of history, and its history is equivalent to ten times that of Fangyuan Computer Company. It has never been seen in the world. The throne of market value is enough for a long time, and it can stand the test of time. !

At the beginning, ibm was even better than the current Fangyuan Computer Company. The incomparable success of the mainframe/360 made the blue giant's market value reach its peak of 192.3 billion US dollars in 1967, while the United States' GDP was only 830 billion US dollars at that time.

Although ibm doesn't really care about these noisy digital comparison games, it must face up to the problems it is experiencing as reflected in many data including the company's stock price.

After entering the 1980s, due to the disappearance of the shadow of antitrust investigations by the US Department of Justice, especially the successful launch of ibm-pc in the vigorous personal computer field, the market value of ibm began to rebound strongly from the range of more than 30 billion US dollars. And all the way up to more than 50 billion US dollars, regaining the number one throne from AT&T.

But the success is also the failure, and the failure is also the failure. The trouble for ibm comes from the personal computer business. Not only does it require the two armies to face off against the Fangyuan personal computer, but also to deal with the backstab from the ibm-pc compatible machine-ibm-pc Among the standard camp, half of the market share has been robbed of ibm-pc compatible machines, and the money they make has nothing to do with the creator of ibm.

Among ibm-pc compatible manufacturers, the most successful example is Compaq. It first targeted the portable personal computer market neglected by ibm in 1982 and launched the paqportable; after the great success, it officially entered the desktop market in 1984. , Launched paqdeskpro. Started to compete face-to-face with ibm-pc/xt and ibm-pc/at, and have already made hundreds of millions of dollars.

How difficult is it to make an ibm-pc compatible machine now?

First of all, ibm released the ibm-pc specification for free. The only technical barrier left in his hands, bios, has been completely broken. Several companies, including logs and awardsoftware, have copied out 100% bios compatible, and then become suppliers.

Secondly, after Gordon Campbell left Seeq, he held high the concept of "factory-free production" and received investment from investors from Japan and other sources. He established his own company in Silicon Valley to develop ibm-pc motherboards. Compatible chip on the device. And through optimization, the integration level is higher, which directly reduces the cost.

Finally, the second supplier of Intel cpu has also launched their own compatible products, so that IBM's plan to monopolize the microprocessor was ruined. At the same time, Microsoft's operating system ms-dos can copy it for you regardless of the genuine machine or compatible machine.

In this way, even an unnamed garage similar to Apple's initial startup stage can easily assemble ready-made cpu, motherboard chips, bios and other components into an ibm-pc compatible machine. Then get it on the market and sell it at a lower price, and the profit is often higher than that of ibm.

This uncontrolled disorderly competition within the ibm-pc standard camp. Let the Blue Giant's own genuine ibm-pc have no advantage in cost performance.

Feeling the more and more serious threat, ibm gritted its teeth with hatred, but as far as the current situation is concerned, it can only stare at it, and it can't come up with an effective response unless it starts anew and comes up with a new set of ibm- The pc standard completely kicked out the current ibm-pc/xt and ibm-pc/at compatible machines.

In addition, the personal computer business, which takes up funds very much, was frustrated. Seriously affected ibm's cash flow, making the financial statements very ugly. This is also the real reason for management's worries.

After John Ax took over the position of CEO, he also saw that ibm had a vaguely beginning to decline. Last year, the company's total revenue only increased by 1%, and profits did not rise but fell.

The combination of these circumstances caused John Ax and the board of directors to panic and had to meet to discuss, at least figure out a way to make the company's cash flow statement data not so bad.

Before entering this topic, the meeting first announced two personnel transfers-the input system department or esd, which is the original ibm-pc department, whose current president Don Estelić, was transferred to the ibm global manufacturing business department. The vacant position was taken over by Bill Lowo, who initially started the "Chess Project".

Don Estelich, who seemed to be promoted, looked serious and showed no joy at all. He knew very well that he had lost the trust of the board of directors due to the terrible situation in the personal computer business. This job transfer is in fact a cut of power by promotion and demotion.

It has to be said that ibm, which has not been abolished for life-long employment, is still very human at this time. Regarding the leadership of Don Estelich and his contributions to the creation of ibm-pc, he has not been directly responsible, but adopted a kind of Euphemistic way of exile.

In the speech session after accepting the appointment, Don Estelich seriously summarized some of his obvious mistakes in his appointment, such as the failure of the ibm-pc/jr model, the use of a large amount of cash to hoard Intel's intel80286 and so on.

In fact, although the personal computer was born as an individual and a family, its real success depends on commercial use. With this small box with a good price/performance ratio, the threshold for companies to obtain it solutions is suddenly lower.

Of course, the slogan of popularizing personal computers in every family is still very loud in the industry, and it is trying to achieve this goal with cheap computers.

After successfully launching the ibm-pc/xt, Don Estelitch was moved by the new chief designer Bill Sydneys’ idea of ​​a family-oriented personal computer and launched the ibm-pc/jr.

As a result, this so-called cheap model with a price of 1,500 US dollars, sold more than 10,000 units, and fell out of the game without any suspense.

In short, the big elephant ibm does not have the talent to make cheap products at all. Its best business direction is still the high-end field with high technology content.

Regarding this mistake, Don Estelitch really has no excuse.

Since the launch of the ibm-pc/at equipped with the intel80286 microprocessor was later than the third-generation Fangyuan personal computer of the competitor, Don Estelich decided to buy all of the intel80286 from Intel, which was still the exclusive source of supply at the time, and took a salary from the bottom Sniper the three generations of Fangyuan personal computers that have gained first-mover advantage.

At the beginning, this trick worked well. Fangyuan Computer Company had to take the third-generation Fangyuan personal computer's high-end product mc68000 series to lose money and reduce the price. The ibm-pc/at that entered the market afterwards is progressing well~www.wuxiahere. com~ But I did not expect that ibm-pc/at, like the third-generation Fangyuan personal computer, had quality problems. The hard disk alone was thrown away by a tug, and the painstaking plan suddenly fell through. l80286 The second supplier Compatible products were launched one after another. Three generations of Fangyuan personal computers have overcome the difficulties, and even ibm-pc compatible computers have also gotten a chance to catch up.

This mistake made Don Estelic feel that God had made an expensive joke with him, and he was helpless and powerless.

Don Estelic's sincere attitude was praised by the board of directors, and it also meant that this personnel transfer was very smooth.

After Bill Lowo, who was pinned high, gave a cautious and brief speech, John Acres opened his mouth, "The company's cash flow is in urgent need of improvement. If you have any suggestions, please talk about it."

Someone quickly answered, "Isn’t our investment department holding 20% ​​of Intel’s shares. This memory-based company has recently been heavily affected by the dumping of Japanese semiconductor companies’ products, and the prospects are hard to predict. , It is better to cash out as soon as possible, at least 400 million US dollars can be recovered." (To be continued.)

...()