Reborn Tech Maniac

Chapter 243 The Founder of Apple
Tang Huan picked up the information on the table and shook it, ""The Deer Hunter" had a budget of 1500 million, a box office of 4900 million, and received constant praise. It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Five awards for editing and best sound mixing can only be described as fame and fortune. But this time, he obviously didn't control Michael Cimino's creative ambitions."

Tang Huan shook his head with deep regret, and concluded, "I believe that with the lessons learned this time, the entire Hollywood studio and investors will further limit the director's control over the film, so that they can occupy the entire filming process." If we have a complete dominant position, we just have to follow suit. No one will criticize us laymen for dictating the operation of Hollywood companies. This can reduce business risks to a certain extent, at least it will not happen like "Heaven's Gate" It’s a great tragedy of losing everything.”

"As long as it doesn't become a burden, it will be fine." Hawkins, who was suddenly in a bright mood, laughed easily.

"If it becomes a burden, then we are too incompetent." Tang Huan showed an intriguing expression on his face, "Did you forget that the "007" series belongs to United Artists, and the value of its video game adaptation should not be underestimated. "

"That's true." Hawkins suddenly realized, his spirit lifted, "Then should we take the initiative to contact Pan Am, or wait for them to come to us?"

"You can't be too eager." Tang Huan pondered for a while, "Just keep paying attention during this time."

In the following time, the two turned to talk about the status quo of the game industry in Japan.As a result, it didn't take long for Woz, who had just obtained his pilot's license, to come excitedly, intending to show Tang Huan the high-end toy he had just acquired.

Now that Woz has the financial strength of a billionaire, he is becoming more and more free in his work. In fact, he has already had the idea of ​​quitting Apple, but he has never found a suitable excuse.

The reason for this is mainly because Apple's interpersonal relationship, as well as the work environment, made Woz feel tired.

He and Jobs were indeed friends who had known each other for many years, but at present it was obvious that they seemed to be estranged, and there was a big gap between them.

This knot had already arisen in 1975. Jobs, who was still working at Atari at the time, told Woz that his boss Bushnell proposed a project to design a single-player version of "Bump Pinball" in four days. 》The challenge of the game.

At that time, there was no record showing that a game could be completed in such a short deadline, but Woz liked to challenge such technical limits, so he took on the task and worked with Jobs for four days and four nights without sleep. It took 45 chips to complete the game that would later be called "Brick Breaker".

In terms of remuneration, Jobs told Woz that the entire job would be paid $700, and he would give Woz half of it.

However, Atari actually calculated compensation based on "how many fewer chips can be used" as a condition, and Jobs privately took away about a few thousand dollars.

There is no impenetrable wall, not to mention that everyone lives in the same circle. A year later, Woz learned the truth of the matter. The simple-minded him was naturally very sad, and even cried.

The second biggest knot is that when Apple was founded, Jobs asked Woz to completely classify the Apple computer he designed as the company's property for operation. The quarrel broke up, but fortunately, it was settled in the end.

It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong here. It is obvious that in the early days of starting a business, the two elements of marketing and technology are indispensable, and neither can do without the other.

Without Jobs' persistent activities, Woz's Apple computer might end up as a toy for hackers to prove their high technical level, lost in the pile of countless similar design samples in the early stage of personal computer development.

The crisis in the early days of Apple's founding passed in this way, but it is obvious that the relationship between the founders can no longer be such a pure friendship.

When Markkula pulled Scott from National Semiconductor Corporation as CEO to manage the company, Woz, who was as daring as Jobs, was also strictly controlled.

Woz once privately brought his famous "blue box" for free pirated long-distance calls to Apple as a project, and asked a friend to study it.

Until now, the long-distance telephone business in the United States is still under the monopoly of AT&T. The cost of calling from San Francisco to New York is $1.35 per minute.

It is not difficult to imagine that such huge economic interests are involved, once AT&T knows about this, what kind of retaliation will be launched.

So after Scott learned of the situation, he was furious.And Woz is not as rotten a duck as Jobs - his mouth is hard, and he admits his mistakes obediently, but he will definitely be distressed that he can't use his talent freely to play pranks.

All of the above, coupled with the fact that before and after Apple went public, the old employees who had followed them from the garage did not receive the appropriate share distribution treatment, which made Woz even more tired of the current Apple.

As a result, Woz is now a kind of hermit who puts his love on mountains and rivers, and basically no longer cares about company affairs.

Tang Huan and Markkula bought business jets, while Woz chose a famous model from Beechcraft Corporation, namely Beechcraft Aircraft Company - "Bonanza", which means "regal", a piston engine aircraft, Let Woz enjoy the joy of self-driving.

Tang Huan didn't want to spoil the fun, but also wanted to change his mind, so he and Woz drove to Scotts Valley not far away, where Woz's high-end toys stopped at the Sky Park Airport.

"Tang, let's experience the feeling of flying freely together." Woz, who was fully equipped, urged Tang Huan to take a ride in his private jet together.

In the original time and space, Woz had a plane crash early next year, causing him to lose his memory for a while.

In view of this, Tang Huan couldn't believe Woz's driving skills. He shook his head like a rattle, waved his hands again and again, and politely declined, "I can't take this small plane, and I will feel uncomfortable."

The simple and honest Woz believed it, and shook his head regretfully, "Then you can appreciate my technology on the ground."

"You must drive according to the operating regulations, safety first." Tang Huan reminded kindly.

As a friend, he can only do this. After all, crashing the phone is an accident.

Just like some time ago, Gu Long, who was specially called to Xiangjiang, still followed the historical track and ran back to the Baodao stall to participate in the Yinsong Pavilion incident. It is simply unsolvable.

Unless the whole story is revealed, even if the person is imprisoned for a period of time, they may not be able to escape this disaster.

It is impossible for Tang Huan to reveal his old background in the former way, and the latter way is also not feasible.

Moreover, Woz, who has always regarded himself as a hacker in terms of computer technology, enjoys the high-end product of airplanes, which is a combination of technology. The feeling of flying in the sky like a bird is really wonderful. Words make people addicted and unable to extricate themselves.

Fortunately, this flight was safe and sound. Woz, who had finished his fun, returned to the ground contentedly, hugged Candy Clark who was flying with him with a red face, and turned around a few times excitedly.

Woz met his first wife, Alice Robertson, when he was working at Hewlett-Packard, but the marriage eventually ended and Alice got a big house.

The Candy in front of me is an employee of Apple, and Woz has just found his second spring.

With his new girlfriend by his side, it's no wonder that the hormones are over-secreted, and he pulls himself, a billionaire, into the audience. Tang Huan, who is knowledgeable and knowledgeable, applauds and laughs in unison.

After Woz finished showing the majestic appearance of a man in front of Candy, and everyone sat down to rest, Tang Huan asked casually, "Stephen, what's new about your work at Apple recently?"

"It's the same, there is no challenge." When talking about work, Woz was obviously listless.

Tang Huan smiled slightly. What a hacker like Woz needs is the fun of inventing the Apple II, and now Apple, which is fighting internally, cannot provide this opportunity.

"Recently, I want to develop an item code identification system through the combination of computer technology and wireless communication. Are you interested in playing it? It's very interesting." Tang Huan sent an invitation.

On the one hand, he really has this need, and on the other hand, he also wants to use this method to divert Woz's attention, so as not to always think about flying a private jet by himself. This man's driving skills seem a little frizzy.

Sure enough, this trick aroused Woz's interest, and he readily nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he had finished helping Woz pick up girls, Tang Huan didn't intend to continue making light bulbs. He got up to leave and planned to go to the set to see Lin Qingxia.

……

With Tang Huan's assistance, Tan Jiaming's filming activities in the United States were much more convenient.

Due to the possibility of being bought by DreamWorks and authorized to be broadcast in Europe, the entire crew of "Love Killing" worked more seriously as one.

However, this movie is relatively simple after all, no matter how slow and meticulous the work is, it will end now, and Lin Qingxia, who has completed her part, feels quite rewarding.

Tang Huan's visit caught up with the crew's end of work, so he naturally wanted to entertain everyone. Lin Qingxia was persuaded by him to drink two glasses of wine, her pretty face was slightly flushed, and she was very bright.

As a director, Tan Jiaming inevitably had to budget carefully. Although he saved some money by borrowing from Tang Huan, he didn't dare to be careless.

"I'll see you off." Tang Huan took Lin Qingxia's hand with a smile and got into the car.

"It's all your fault, I made someone drink an extra glass of wine, and I'm a little dizzy now." Lin Qingxia leaned softly on the back of the chair, coquettishly.

"What are you afraid of? With me as your bodyguard, it's absolutely safe and foolproof." Tang Huan chuckled, refusing to admit that he had ulterior motives.

"With you, it's more dangerous. It's not impossible to guard yourself." Lin Qingxia smiled sweetly, closed her eyes slightly, and dozed off in a daze.

After waiting for a while, the car was parked, and Lin Qingxia woke up after hearing Tang Huan say "here we are." Then he realized that this was not his home.

"Didn't you say, take me home?" Lin Qingxia asked in surprise.

"Yes, this is my home, and of course it is also your home." Tang Huan smiled playfully.

……

The next day, the refreshed Tang Huan did not rush to the office. Instead, he stayed at home and chatted with Lin Qingxia all morning. They also cooked together and had lunch because of the tight work schedule. My nerves were completely relaxed.

Stealing half a day's leisure from Fusheng can only go so far.

Soon, Tang Wenmao called to report that the HIV laboratory funded by the Shennong Fund had achieved unmistakable results. The team led by Robert Charles Gallo confirmed the cases caused by HIV and was preparing to cooperate with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Communicate this with the Prevention Center.

"Then follow the normal process. Silicon Valley is quite busy recently, so I won't ask about it specifically for the time being." After finishing the order, Tang Huan, who put down the phone, was thoughtful. It has been shown that the time of confirming the case is more than half a year earlier than the original time and space, which can be regarded as a good deed.

After tidying up the room, Lin Qingxia sat next to Tang Huan, shook his arm and said, "Send me home."

"You don't like being alone with me that much." Tang Huan joked.

"No." Lin Qingxia showed a twisted look on her face, "You are so busy, I don't want to delay your time to do business, and I'm a little tired, so I'd better go home and have a rest."

"I don't know if you are understanding or dissatisfied with me." Tang Huan shook his head helplessly, "Then I will send you home."

"This time, I'm really taking me home." Lin Qingxia mischievously stretched out her finger, asking Tang Huan to pull the hook to promise.

"Of course, I can't take you there and come back." Tang Huan was amused and laughed.

"Then leave quickly." Lin Qingxia pulled Tang Huan and urged him repeatedly.

……

After sending Lin Qingxia home, Tang Huan came to Cupertino's office in good spirits, just when Chambers came to discuss the feasibility of purchasing additional insurance for employees.

This discussion originated from the high-rise fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, the venue for COMDEX in Las Vegas a few days ago. The Zheru engineer, who provided on-site support services for the hotel information management system, died because of the chaos. hurt.

Arranged by the degree of disaster, this fire caused by the overheating of the freezer wires and the ignition of surrounding combustibles was the second largest fire accident tragedy in the United States after World War II, second only to the 1946-year-old Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta on December 12, 7. 119 people were killed, most of whom suffered misfortunes due to inhaling excessive amounts of toxic smoke. In addition, more than 87 people were injured, including Zheru's engineer.

The sensation and reflection brought about by this accident are obvious, and it has directly hit the tourism industry in Las Vegas, and the United States has also begun to formulate stricter fire protection regulations.

Of course, the responsibility for the accident must be investigated, and the first to bear the brunt is the MGM Grand Hotel owned by Kirk Cochrane.

When it was first built, the investment of the MGM Grand Hotel was 1.06 million US dollars. It was said to have 26 floors. Because there were no 3, 4, and 13 floors, it actually only had 23 floors, with more than 2000 rooms. The casino, which covers an area of ​​more than 6000 square meters, is famous all over the world for its grand scale and magnificence, but it is very stingy in terms of fire protection, such as not fully installing an automatic sprinkler system.

When the fire broke out, there were as many as 3400 registered guests, plus gamblers and various staff, a total of more than 5000 people. The degree of chaos can be imagined.

Most of them fled the scene of the fire on their own, but those trapped in the upper floors could only endure the deadly threat of smoke and wait for rescue by fire ladders and helicopters. One woman even jumped to her death because she couldn't bear the smoke.

In the original time and space, protracted legal proceedings followed the fire. The MGM Grand Hotel was accused of as many as 83 violations of building safety regulations during the design, construction, and use. 118 defendant companies have to face A total of 1327 lawsuits were filed.

All companies involved in the case raised $2.23 million to set up a compensation fund to provide compensation to the dead and injured. As the main party responsible for the accident, MGM Grand Hotel assumed $1.05 million in compensation.

In short, Kirk Kerkorian, a rich man, is in trouble and is in big trouble.

The impact of this accident on Zheru is that a series of database products represented by the hotel information management system, the business in the Las Vegas hotel field, due to the industry depression caused by the damage to the overall tourism safety image, In turn, it will trigger a change in the mentality of hotel owners towards technology products-it is still unclear whether they will continue to be enthusiastic or lose interest.

Fortunately, the hotels in Las Vegas are just famous, not unique. There are too many cities waiting for Zheru to explore.

The fire has been widely concerned by the media in the United States and even the world. People in Silicon Valley will naturally have read some reports on this aspect, and because their colleagues are witnesses, Zheru employees are more empathetic and concerned about related issues. news.

On behalf of Tang Huanhe Company, Chambers made a special trip to Las Vegas to visit those engineers. They were not seriously injured, but they still had lingering fears.

For Tang Huan's various measures to strengthen the company's cohesion and network people's hearts, Chambers empathized with the power in the process of implementing them.

As the largest provider of microcomputer software, Zheru has gradually become the main target of peer poaching.

Take Microsoft's Gates, for example, every time he visits, his innocuous appearance can't hide his pursuit of some talented programmers**.

With the great success of the database EBase, companies outside the personal computer industry have also begun to eye the talents of Zheru, such as ORACLE, which is also located in Silicon Valley, and even HP.

(End of this chapter)