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When Zhou Buqi was in Cook's office, this was not considered a formal negotiation. It was a private communication and might reveal some business secrets.

“Microsoft’s Xbox is doing a great job!”

Zhou Buqi suddenly said such an inexplicable sentence.

Of course, Cook knew that the other party would not casually say something completely unrelated to the cooperation between Asda and Apple, so he responded with, "Yes, a home game console."

Zhou Buqi said: “Ten years ago, the field of home game consoles was dominated by Sony and Nintendo. Microsoft later entered the market with great force, especially after Don Mattrick became the president of the home game console business and completed three projects. The market share has jumped by leaps and bounds, crushing Nintendo, and can now compete with Sony."

Cook smiled and said: "Zhou, do you know this industry so well?"

Zhou Buqi said: "No, I made two special trips to dig up Don Mattrick to Ziweixing."

"Oh?" Cook didn't know. "Weixing also intends to enter the home game console business?"

Zhou Buqi waved his hand, "I don't have this interest. Don Mattrick has done very well at Microsoft. The reason why he is willing to change jobs is because he feels that the home game console market is outdated. The emergence of the iPhone made him realize Smart terminals are the main platform for future games, and home game consoles that rely on TVs are no longer suitable for the times."

Cook smiled and said: "What a keen insight. Congratulations on hiring a very good gaming talent from Microsoft! The most popular game on the iPhone now is "Angry Birds", which is produced by Ziweixing. It should be Mattrick. Did you do it?"

"It's a game developed by a Finnish game studio." Zhou Buqi waved his hand, "But that's not the point. The point is that a year after Don Mattrick left Microsoft, Microsoft began to pay attention to the game he originally proposed. There is a plan to transform to the mobile terminal.”

"Transforming to mobile? Are you sure?"

Cook's expression became serious.

If this is the case, it would be really stressful for Apple. It is not because of the pressure of transforming the game business to the mobile terminal, but the combination behind the product transformation and the newly developed mobile operating system.

Zhou Buqi said calmly: "There are many products in Xbox, such as Xbox games, Xbox music, Xbox videos, etc. I don't have definite evidence yet whether the games will be transformed. But the music and video business will be transformed, I am knew."

"real?"

Cook attaches great importance to this.

Zhou Buqi glanced at him and said calmly: "Microsoft has contacted Lucasfilm and wants to obtain the streaming rights for the "Star Wars" series on mobile terminals for Xbox video products. EMI Records has also obtained a similar Application for cooperation, and the intensity is even greater. Microsoft is going to enter the music market for mobile devices in an all-round way.”

"EMI?"

Cook wanted to make sure.

Zhou Buqi said frankly: "Ziweixing Global intends to enter the music industry, and EMI Records is an option."

"If this is the case……"

Cook took a deep breath.

Before launching the iPhone, one of the first things Apple did was to build a mobile entertainment system, namely iTunes, where you can watch videos and listen to music.

This was originally Disney chairman Robert Iger's suggestion to Steve Jobs.

Later, the Apple Store was established, which allowed more third-party applications, and the ecosystem was established.

Why is the iPhone able to crush traditional mobile phones?

In addition to success at the tactical level, there is also advancement at the strategic level.

The strategic thinking is actually consistent with Zhou Buqi.

It relies on a huge ecosystem to fight against a single product.

Traditional mobile phone giants such as Nokia and Motorola make one mobile phone and one product. What Apple has established is a mobile ecosystem. Whether it is iPhone or iPad, they are just tools to realize this mobile ecosystem.

This is a dimensionality reduction attack.

This model launched by Apple has achieved brilliant success, and of course there is no shortage of imitators.

Cook said slowly: "It feels so familiar. Sony is the same way."

"Ahem..."

Zhou Buqi suddenly felt a little embarrassed, feeling like he was being called out.

Sony copied Apple, and his shadow was behind it.

In order to help Marvel recover the copyright of "Spider-Man" from Sony Pictures and recommend all-round cooperation between Ziweixing and Sony, Sony's chairman Howard Stringer asked Zhou Buqi to be a consultant and consulted The possibility of Sony's industrial transformation.

Zhou Buqi affirmed Howard's idea and used the resources of Ziweixing International and Ziweixing Global to cooperate, allowing Sony to embark on the path of plagiarizing Apple.

Fortunately, Zhou Buqi managed his expression well and quickly covered it up, "Yes, Sony. Sony has used the PSP, a phenomenal terminal device, to launch a full entertainment layout on the mobile side, including games, music, videos, reading, and even purple MSI has also developed an exclusive Helo specifically for the PSP to enable social interaction through the PSP."

Cook sighed, "Frankly speaking, Steve Jobs didn't pay much attention to Sony at our president's meeting, and even felt it was a pity. PSP is a great entertainment product, but... but it is only limited to entertainment. In the era of mobile , the terminal device must have functions that cover all aspects. It can’t work without entertainment, and it can’t work with entertainment alone.”

Of course Zhou Buqi understands this.

Otherwise, he would not have made suggestions to help Sony transform, because he knew that Sony's transformation would inevitably fail. It was too unrealistic to rely on the PSP, a handheld game console, to lay out the mobile Internet.

It makes sense for Sony to be left behind by the times. It was too slow to respond.

It wasn't until 2013 that Sony reacted.

Previously, due to the downturn in the mobile phone business, Sony merged with Ericsson's mobile phone business to form the company "Sony Ericsson", with both parties holding 50% of the shares each.

By 2013, Sony discovered the irresistibility of the mobile Internet era, and quickly made plans to buy back the 50% shares held by Ericsson.

"Sony Ericsson" became "Sony" again and began to make a big impact in the mobile Internet market.

The daylilies are cold.

Although Microsoft led by Ballmer has also been criticized and is considered a technology giant abandoned by the Internet era, Microsoft is Microsoft after all, and it is much better than Sony.

To build a product ecosystem, you must have end products with market appeal.

Xbox is doing very well, but this thing is a home game console.

Microsoft's mobile ecosystem cannot be built around Xbox.

Now, Xbox video, Xbox music, and Xbox games are all moving towards the mobile terminal, and Microsoft does not yet have a real mobile product...

Think again about Microsoft’s upcoming launch of a new smartphone-based operating system and the launch of blockbuster hardware products at the press conference on October 11th...

At this point, the layout of Microsoft's entire mobile ecosystem is clear!

Cook took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. "Microsoft wants to integrate Xbox video, Xbox music, Xbox games and other products under Xbox into a terminal product, just like the iPhone."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "I agree. The outside speculation is basically correct. Microsoft is likely to launch a smartphone with the Microsoft brand. Apple's is called iPhone, and Microsoft's may be called MPhone or WPhone."

Cook originally had doubts, but after Boss Zhou's analysis, he was almost 100% convinced that Microsoft must be operating this secretly!

How shameless!

Plagiarism again!

Relying on its own giant monopoly position, when other people's technology products are doing well, they launch a highly similar product to squeeze out competitors.

How shameless!

The most typical example of something similar is the Netscape browser in the 1990s. At that time, Netscape's browser market share was as high as 80%, and its market valuation was as high as US$2 billion.

Later, it was targeted by Microsoft, which took advantage of the monopoly position of the operating system to launch IE and restricted the use of Netscape browser in Microsoft systems.

Netscape was furious and took Microsoft to court, suing Microsoft for monopoly.

The lawsuit lasted for several years, and it was not until 2003 that a formal verdict was made. Microsoft lost and was awarded US$750 million in compensation.

So what?

The browser market has long been dominated by Microsoft.

Netscape has been lost in history, and the company has been dissolved.

In recent years, there are only a few companies that can survive Microsoft's plagiarism stick, namely Yahoo, Google, Apple, Cisco, Adobe, Oracle and other Silicon Valley giants. Even Sony and Nintendo can't withstand it.

Compared to Google and Samsung, Microsoft is the one that Apple is more afraid of!

Zhou Buqi added fuel to the fire: "I was in Manchester, England a few days ago, watching a Manchester United football match. Bill Gates happened to be there too and chatted with me for a while."

"What to talk about?"

Cook immediately became nervous.

Zhou Buqi said: "There are mainly two aspects. One is to want Microsoft's new search platform Bing to cooperate with 'Instructions'. The other is to want Asda to launch a smartphone equipped with Microsoft's new mobile operating system."

"You agreed?"

Cook's expression changed drastically.

The search thing doesn't matter, Apple doesn't care. However, smartphones are Apple's core and most important business at the moment and cannot be missed.

Zhou Buqi said jokingly: "I told Bill that I am a single-minded person and cannot deal with many things at the same time. After the differences between Apple and Google are resolved, we will discuss cooperation with Microsoft."

It seemed like a joke, but it was actually full of threats.

There are many options for Asda.

Microsoft is one of them!

However, Zhou Buqi knew that Cook was not the one talking about Apple yet, and he could not decide on some important decisions, so he smiled and said, "I want to visit Steve Jobs in the hospital, is that convenient?"

Cook was startled for a moment, then smiled and said: "Okay, it may be inconvenient for others, but it is convenient for you at any time!"

"How is his health?"

"not too good."

"Can you still handle work matters?"

"Very reluctantly." Cook sighed, "He told me last time that he already had plans to resign."

Zhou Buqi nodded, "Yes, recuperation is more important."