LATEST UPDATES

Rebirth capital madman - Chapter 952

Published at 17th of March 2022 07:11:35 PM


Chapter 952

If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again




Improving the mass production capacity and product yield of Intel 80386 is only part of the thorny problems faced by Intel from semiconductor memory supplier to microprocessor supplier.

For example, intel80386 still has shortcomings and bugs that are not caused by technical errors. For example, the coprocessor intel80387 supporting floating-point operation has not been pushed out in time, so we can only make do with the floating-point coprocessor intel80287 of intel80286.

In this regard, Gordon Moore explained that the introduction of major new technologies in products is often accompanied by defects. For example, intel80286 introduces the resource allocation mechanism for multitasking support, and there are many bugs; Intel80386 is the first work of X86 family microprocessor in the 32-bit era. It is natural to learn lessons and concentrate limited resources to ensure the perfection of design and manufacturing.

Gao Xian does not entangle the credibility of this answer, but clearly points out that as a microprocessor of personal computer CPU, it must be the general trend that it can process floating-point data and then process various multimedia data including image, sound and video. If Intel misses this market opportunity, it will be really hopeless.

Therefore, Intel must directly build floating-point arithmetic units in the next generation, that is, the fourth generation microprocessor products, rather than put them in the external coprocessor; To the fifth generation processor, on this basis, the enhanced function of supporting multimedia data processing is introduced.

As for the product upgrading interval of introducing major new technologies, it should be about three years.

Mr. Kim's father raised such expectations. What choice can Intel's management, led by Gordon Moore and Andy Grove, have? It can only be accepted in its entirety.

More importantly, although Sir Gao is modest and you are the technical elite, the rectification suggestions put forward directly hit Intel's weakness, which made Gordon Moore and Andy Grove irrefutable and even slightly embarrassed.

After a long time, sir Gao changed the subject, not to mention his bad skills, and began to discuss business issues.

After Intel launched Intel 80386, in addition to poor sales due to insufficient production capacity and low yield, it also faced the embarrassment of being ignored by IBM, the master of the mainstream standard of personal computers.

During this period, IBM was busy working on a set of patent closed new mainstream standards for personal computers to prevent compatible manufacturers from drinking soup. In the specific implementation, the platform CPU was fixed on Intel 80286, which began to support multitasking and has error interrupt function, that is, to reduce crash and other new features.

Under the jurisdiction of the headquarters, there are many rigid points in the thinking of IBM's personal computer department, such as applying the experience of the era of mainframe computers, mistakenly evaluating the time interval between the upgrading of personal computer products, and taking it for granted that IBM-PC with Intel 80286 as CPU can be competent until the 1990s. After all, the main models of IBM mainframe computers are only 32 at present.

On the other hand, there are too many bugs in intel80286. Even Microsoft, which developed OS 2 with IBM to support multitasking and other new functions, can take part in the fun and despise it. Therefore, this understanding was brought to intel80386.

This human psychology is not difficult to understand. IBM is a small kingdom. Engineers in IBM think they have the best technology. Using Intel's "small factory" products is enough to give face, but they have done so much repair work for the bug of Intel 80286. They are not creative and consumed so much energy, Naturally, I don't want to waste brain cells for intel80386, the successor of intel80286.

How to effectively open the market of intel80386?

Gordon Moore and Andy Grove really don't have a clear idea. They can only take one step, watch one step and wait for new variables to appear.

But Gordon Moore couldn't reveal such an incompetent answer, and he couldn't attribute the reason to financial tension and lack of resources like explaining that he couldn't timely support the coprocessor intel80387 of intel80386. Suddenly his forehead was sweating.

After a moment of silence, Gordon Moore had to harden his head and ask for advice again. What's Sir Gao's opinion?

Of course, Gaoxian has its own strategy. In fact, this is also the driving force of this meeting to protect the personal computer standard of "small clothes" descent.

"In the past few years, the competition in the personal computer industry is reflected in the combination of products and technologies including microprocessors, semiconductor memories, external memories, other chips, etc. into a mature and available product at a reasonable cost, which has been pushed to the market, and then dozens of personal computer hardware platforms have emerged, together with operating systems and programming Tools and other software have to adapt to all kinds of versions. "

"Up to now, the American PC market has been the survival of the fittest, leaving two main hardware platforms, IBM-PC and apple. The latter has closed systems and considerable profits. IBM is also planning to follow suit and launch a new PC standard to replace IBM-PC, which currently accounts for the highest proportion of the PC market. Accordingly, the core of competition has changed."

Speaking of this, sir Gao's eyes became sharp. "I think at this juncture, Intel has a great opportunity to replace IBM and dominate the development of IBM-PC by absolutely controlling Intel 80386 and its subsequent microprocessors."

Gordon Moore and Andy Grove were filled with emotion and asked repeatedly. What was the specific idea to do?

Gao Xian moved out of Robert Noyce, the founder of Intel, who has faded out. "A business rule put forward in the Robert era is that Intel will not enter the business field that competes with customers. Today, more than ten years later, there are still wonderful functions."

Gordon Moore understood that Sir Gao meant to reiterate and emphasize this rule, so as to win over IBM-PC compatible computer manufacturers that use x86 family microprocessors as personal computer CPUs, and strive to condense these market forces together, so that the market share of X86 family microprocessors is too high to be replaced.

Sir Gao laughed loudly. Since you can think of this layer, there is no need for me to waste my words on the tips, including the discount on the batch purchase price of microprocessors, which is more competitive for IBM-PC compatible computer manufacturers.

"However, Intel should expand its product line. In addition to microprocessors, supporting functional chips for control bus, memory, IO and other parts must also be actively launched. In this way, it can not only greatly reduce the technical threshold of compatible machine manufacturers, further seize the control of IBM-PC standard, but also significantly increase the imitation of the latest generation of microprocessor of X86 family by other semiconductor companies The difficulty of the product. "

Listening to Sir Gao's suggestions on how Intel will succeed in transformation next, Gordon Moore and Andy Grove suddenly opened their eyes. The uncertainty of going step by step is no longer the tacit consensus of the senior management.

Therefore, when Sir Gao finally proposed personnel transfer and asked Andy Grove, President of Intel, to take over the post of CEO of Gordon Moore, chairman of Intel's board of directors and CEO, to lead Intel in implementing these development plans, it was natural.

In Gao Xian's view, Intel in this period needs a tough role to lead the battle behind its back. Andy Grove, a veteran employee of Intel but not the founder of Intel, is far more suitable than Gordon Moore.

To put it bluntly, Andy Glov, a Hungarian immigrant, can't compare with the founders of Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce. He has no choice but to live and die with Intel.

Gordon Moore, who is convinced of Sir Gao in terms of Intel's development strategy, did not procrastinate. He asked Andy Grove to fully preside over Intel's operation, and Andy Grove is also full of enthusiasm.

In fact, the new forces that dominate the development direction of personal computers, in addition to Intel, a microprocessor manufacturer providing CPU, which is a local household in the American market, there are also software companies that can provide new operating systems, such as Microsoft, which is developing OS2 with IBM.

By helping gates successfully deal with the basic patent lawsuit, Gao Xian also has a 25% stake in Microsoft. In particular, gates does not have the problem of being content with pleasure after the success of entrepreneurs, and is as energetic as Andy Grove. Therefore, Microsoft is in line with its vision, that is, as a local user in the American market, it will become a new force leading the development direction of personal computers.

However, according to Gao Xian, Microsoft will have to roll in the mud for some time, at least after parting with IBM, in order to eliminate the uncontrollable factors in people's hearts.

In addition, after the signing of the US Japan Semiconductor Trade Agreement, a semiconductor industry did not dare to engage in a price war in the American market. In addition, some American semiconductor memory companies withdrew, and the price of semiconductor memory in the American market increased significantly, which directly led to the increase in the price of personal computers due to the increase in the cost of internal storage.

Obviously, the new operating system supporting multitasking requires more memory, such as OS2, which cannot be less than 2MB, and its compatibility with thousands of old software may not be satisfactory.

The price of the PC host meeting this configuration is far more than 3000 US dollars. With the addition of monitors, printers and other external devices, the cost of ownership is even higher. Compared with the current price of 2000 US dollars of IBM-PC compatible computers, it lacks market attraction.

Therefore, there is no need to worry about the operating system. In this period, hardware is still the priority.

After sorting out Intel, Gao Xian asked Gao Yi to help Intel issue bonds and raise US $250 million.

It is no exaggeration to say that 1986, after the signing of the Plaza Agreement, was the most profitable year on Wall Street. The capital market was unprecedentedly active and the market was hot. As long as it could package and junk bonds walked sideways, Intel could not even stimulate a few water flowers.

Moreover, Gao Xian did not really expect to win external funds to help Intel finance this time, but for a "precipitation" of the wealth of Gao's kingdom.




Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!


COMMENTS