Rebirth of the Tech Madman - Chapter 1006

…

Louis Pratt, the low-key HP CEO, seeing that Tang Huan was quite concerned about the troubles caused by the HP-Iran deal, he also replied calmly: “Operate in Europe. The company is a Dutch company with only three employees…”

At this point, Louis Pratt stopped talking, and Tang Huan also understood-HP’s response was to use the loopholes in the rules to justify, and the backers were already prepared.

To be honest, this method cannot be said to be clever, it can be used by HP, who is not short of energy and veteran, and the effect naturally has its own unique mystery.

The richest man nodded slightly, “If HP needs help in public relations, I will be happy to help.”

“Of course it couldn’t be better.” Louis Pratt responded kindly.

In fact, despite the fact that HP sold US$120 million worth of computers, printers and other products to Iran this time, its current company positioning is really not a computer company that the public will be familiar with a few years later. After entering the 1990s, through the acquisition of two microcomputer companies, it began to increase investment in personal computers.

This is also the internal reason why Tang Huan and ibm have been fighting dimly for more than ten years, but he and HP, the “Silicon Valley Witness” close at hand, are basically in peace.

Hewlett-Packard, which has almost never led any industrial revolution, started its business with measuring instrument products such as oscilloscopes, and its specialty is medical instruments such as nuclear magnetic resonance.

It is not difficult to imagine that the reason why HP has extended its operating tentacles into the computer field is also to better serve its own good business.

More than 20 years ago, Jobs confuses Woz, who was still an HP engineer, and started the company with his own Apple machine. The honest and kind Woz first gave the prototype to the owner to watch, but HP was not interested and lost. The opportunity to participate in the vigorous personal computer industrial revolution is not unrelated to this factor.

Now, the Internet wave can be described as turbulent. No matter how old HP is, it can’t be slow and slow in operating personal computers. This will inevitably change the relationship between HP and Fangyuan, which is controlled by Tang Huan.

To put it bluntly, Tang Huan is not afraid of Hewlett-Packard. Although the other party is very large, it is just like Chu in the Warring States Period in China.

However, the necessary layout is still to be done-this time the richest man, who appeared to send “warmth” this time, just wanted to stumble in silence.

Looking at an opportunity, Tang Huan changed the topic smoothly and said: “Dec, which has a history of 40 years, is no longer in its former glory. In order to save the emergency, the sale of non-core businesses in the past few years has been dazzling, and it is almost time to sell. There are no more mountains and rivers. So, I’m going to do it—Is HP interested?”

“Tang Ke really doesn’t let anything of value go.” Louis Pratt pondered the stakes through the playful space.

The decline of dec reflects the cruel competition in the computer industry.

At the beginning, dec was the dominant player in the field of minicomputers. Both ibm and HP had to be in the back row. HP even had the idea of ​​acquiring control over the minicomputer market by acquiring each other. But dec was really bullish at the time. Give up angrily.

The popularity of dec’s minicomputers can be seen from the programming language c and operating system unix which were first developed on its pdp minicomputers.

But the success and failure are the same-dec’s minicomputer is so successful that its founder and leader Ken Olsen stubbornly believes that the personal computer is just a trivial toy, and it is ultimately cruel. Ruthless industry competition is eliminated.

For a long time, Tang Huan had difficulty understanding Ken Olsen’s thinking.

If it is said that in the early 1980s, 8-bit personal computers were not worth mentioning in terms of performance in front of minicomputers, and their functions were not much better than toys. Then 16-bit personal computers would be utterly inconsistent; they waited until around 1985. 32-bit personal computers have already threatened dec minicomputers.

The most successful model of dec in the 1970s was the 16-bit pdp-11. Excluding those third-party imitations, dec alone sold about 600,000 units. You know, this is an early minicomputer, not a personal computer. The programming language c and operating system unix of Bell Labs were first implemented on pdp-11, which in itself illustrates how rich and complete the IT ecological chain centered on pdp-11 is.

However, the premise of everlasting state is that the environment remains unchanged.

The most obvious change outside dec is that even in the second half of the 1970s, semiconductor memory was still as precious as Atari’s home video game console Atari 2600, which was only designed with 128 bytes in the early 1980s. No longer exists, especially under the impact of a semiconductor memory company. Even the personal computer that Ken Olsen regarded as a toy, the memory equipped with it quickly reached 64 kilobytes, and even exceeded 1024 unstoppable all the way. Kilobytes, or 1mb.

On the other hand, among the various CPUs used in personal computers, the 16-bit microprocessor intel_8086 released by Intel in 1978 is equipped with a 20-bit address bus that can access 1mb of memory space; and the new generation released in 1982 The 16-bit microprocessor intel_80286, the address bus has been increased to 24 bits, and can access 16mb of memory space.

No matter how good dec’s pdp-11 is, it can’t stand up to the “diligence” of personal computers and so on. Even the successor of pdp-11-32-bit minicomputer vax, was set off by Intel’s 32-bit microprocessor intel_80386 released in 1985 The wave of 32-bit personal computers has also received a significant impact.

In short, regardless of the ibm mainframe or the dec minicomputer, it is gradually driven down by personal computers, and workstations and servers derived from it.

ibm has participated in the personal computer industrial revolution anyway. As the person involved, he understands that he must change. However, under the leadership of Ken Olsen, the stubborn founder, dec went to the black on the road of minicomputers. After hitting the south wall, it is too late to turn around. Even if the 64-bit alpha risc microprocessor is finally launched, the trend is gone and it will not help.

By 1992, when the economic cycle of the United States was at the bottom of the recession in the early 1990s, dec lost $2.8 billion for the year. The dec board of directors couldn’t stand it anymore, and blasted away Ken Olsen, the company’s father, and let Robert Palmer turn the tide.

Robert Palmer’s routine is not uncommon. The most effective life-saving tricks are reorganization and layoffs-so he swipes a big knife, and more than 60,000 people are unemployed.

As the US economic cycle enters an upward phase, dec’s days have improved slightly, but don’t forget that market competition has become more fierce and cruel-dec wants to be a prodigal, and there is no chance.

The layoffs have been used, and dec had to sell non-core assets-in 1994 alone, it sold the relational database product rdb to oracle, pdp-11 to mentec, and tape data storage development technology dlt. Give it to Quantum, a well-known company that manufactures hard drives at this stage.

After entering this year, dec has become even more aggressive, focusing on Intel-kid, your Pentium microprocessor is selling very well, but it infringes at least 14 of our patents. Let’s talk less nonsense and pay protection fees.

Now, dec has fallen into such a field, and Tang it feels that the heat is almost over, it is time to help the industry clean up this mess.

Hewlett-Packard is big but not strong in the computer field at this time, coupled with the feelings of failing courtship in dec, it should be interested in dec’s core assets.

If HP gets on the road, it will inevitably produce a series of interesting chain reactions.

For example, in addition to deciding how to deal with the overlapping parts of the business of both parties, HP has to spend energy to digest the 40-year-old “old bone” of dec that has formed its own corporate culture.

Take dec’s 64-bit risc microprocessor alpha as an example. Hewlett-Packard has already formed an epic alliance. How to install this really excellent thing?

Louis Pratt thought for a while, and finally failed to conceal his slander about dec, and asked, “What is the current market for dec?”

The richest man replied casually: “No more than 9 billion U.S. dollars at most.”

Louis Pratt turned to tentatively: “Listen to Tang, if HP is not interested in dec, it is also going to make a move, and already has its own plan?”

“It is true.” Tang Huan nodded frankly. “Dec is after all a long-established computer company with a long history, and it was once so powerful. By virtue of its first-mover advantage, he really has a lot of valuable things in his hands—— If I take it alone, I will naturally focus on intellectual property rights and eliminate some patent conflicts.”

Although Louis Pratt does not know how Google will deal with Motorola in the original time and space more than ten years later, he can also imagine how dec will be smashed from the seemingly relaxed but cruel words of the richest man.

“Since Tang already has a comprehensive plan, why did he come to HP?” Louis Pratt asked with a wry smile.

“Obviously, the lean camel is bigger than the horse. I am definitely not the only force interested in dec. Maybe HP will have the opportunity to join the competition.” Tang Huan explained leisurely: “If we both join together, it will There is no doubt that it will be more labor-saving and more confident, and in the subsequent handling of dec, not only will it not be susceptible to differences, but will use this opportunity for cooperation to further enhance friendship.”

Having said that, the richest man looked at Louis Pratt very sincerely, and slowly said: “Under the brilliance of the two founders of HP, you may not be so dazzling, but you are down-to-earth, knowing and doing. With the “HP Way”, HP’s reputation in the industry is highly respected-I look forward to and believe that the cooperation between the two parties can develop to a deeper level.”

In fact, under the appearance of Chunliang Tang, HP’s “kindness” under the leadership of Louis Pratt at this stage is determined.

How trustworthy is HP at this time? An example can illustrate the problem—Zheru and Hewlett-Packard have 42 cooperative projects in the field of network basic research. Although they have not signed a careless and strict contract, the two sides have cooperated very happily.

This precious trait is believed to be swallowed up soon in the utilitarian era-now of course we must hurry up and leave good memories!

How about Louis Pratt being an honest man, he immediately believed what the richest man said, but there was some hesitation, “According to Tang’s disposal plan for dec, it must be a lot of cash…”

Tang Huan waved his hand and said with a smile: “You must not use the funding issue to prevaricate me-I have heard that HP plans to separate its most proficient measurement and medical business and form a company called Agilent, which will go public. Financing.”

Why is the richest man alert to Wall Street?

Under its influence, Zheru first separated its software business and became a Zheru software company ~www.mtlnovel.com~ which attracted countless money in the US stock market; then AT&T separated its communications equipment business and became Lucent. It has also attracted countless gold in the US stock market; now it is HP’s turn to separate the measurement and medical business and become Agilent, continuing to make money-absorbing gimmicks.

No one knows if Wall Street will swing the meat-cutting knife at the philosopher after a big circle, Tang Huan, who has his own plan in his heart, naturally observes such movements carefully.

Seeing that the richest man said so bluntly, Louis Pratt stopped playing officialdom, and immediately said: “Then let’s start to make a plan.”

…

After finishing the vertical and horizontal work within the responsibilities of the top leaders in Silicon Valley, Tang Huan continued to stay vigorous and attended this year’s Philosophy Spring Developer Conference.

Although the “noise” alliance is a bit sluggish, especially Netscape and Oracle don’t seem to be in a hurry, but this philosophical spring developer conference is still held in accordance with its own rhythm, grand and lively.

In the Internet tide, the conference theme naturally revolves around the Internet more and more.

During this period, the three leading companies in this field, Fangyuan, Zheru Software, and ea, announced almost at the same time that they officially launched the Internet online sales system-users can learn about texts, static images, animations, and even streaming advertisements through online stores. Product introduction in the form of a piece, place an order according to your own needs.

Streaming media can be regarded as the most vivid illustration of how fast the Internet is developing-this year’s Spring Developers Conference of Philosophers and Hollywood’s 20th Century Fox, using Internet streaming media, released the epic masterpiece “Titan” for the first time in the world. The trailer of “Nick” has been watched by the attendees, including major mainstream media, time and time again and watched over and over again!