The Apple II was fully upgraded, leaving many amazed. Since the Apple II was selling well, there was no need to upgrade now; it was like fighting with both hands.
Without much change in price, the performance dramatically improved, stressing out Commodore and Atari.
They were not Apple's match before, and now they're even further behind. The customers' choice is obvious.
What is this 6600 nonsense? Isn't this Motorola's low-end chipset? And not even 16-bit? This company is going backward!
Confusion, bafflement, bewilderment.
Yet, all of this didn't matter. The slight redesign was met with great praise, and Apple's market share continued to grow.
Currently, there were no standards for personal PCs. Everyone did their own thing. But with Apple's updates, other PCs were completely left in the dust.
Apple was a bit giddy, never expecting the potential of the Apple II to be so great. As a result, delaying the Apple III and Lisa projects wasn't an issue anymore. At least the Wall Street vultures couldn't keep complaining.
Other companies needed time to research the new architecture, clear inventory, and rearrange production plans. Three months didn't mean much. It's a show for fund managers to fool investors.
"Steve, you've got a big advantage and still complain. That's pretty unkind, and I really despise you."
"Tch, don't think I don't know. You just want to boost stock prices."
"Ha, it's those Wall Street guys fighting with you again?"
"Damn it, I knew it. You really think like this."
"It's a win-win, a win-win, you know? Your shares are way more than mine."
Markkula was expecting gratitude but got complaints instead. Faced with such a defiant guy, he could only hold his breath in silence.
Apple's resurgence greatly stimulated an already hot semiconductor market.
The idea that PCs were useless?
You're just a joke.
With personal PCs developing so rapidly, it's ridiculous to call it a waste of time. Look, isn't everyone doing just fine?
Apple was gearing up for an IPO at the end of the year and still hadn't settled on a valuation. With explosive sales again, Morgan Stanley found itself in a passive position.
Wall Street's vultures were ecstatic, dusting off their top hats. Investing in Apple was a brilliant move; it was a recipe for wealth!
The fact that White Software's valuation would increase wasn't lost on them, was it?
They weren't dumb, either. Even with only a modest increase in new CPU frequency, the doubled transmission channel was tailor-made for microcomputer databases. An increased valuation wasn't surprising.
With microcomputer databases, many tedious tasks can be handed over to computers. Besides, they're not expensive at all.
...
Apple proudly predicted that the company could reach $300 million in sales this year. The news caused quite a stir in the industry.
Both IBM and HP became subjects of ridicule, a harsh reality check for them.
A silly video game console? This is a market worth more than a billion dollars a year, not a small matter, and the most terrifying thing is its potential.
Before this, the most optimistic estimate for Apple was a $200 million sales figure. Now, what do they hear? Three hundred million.
IBM's PC plan has already shown hints, but it's a bit awkward since they chose Intel's 8080 and seem to have picked software from Microsoft.
The 8080 is certainly decent; it's a 16-bit processor, much better than Motorola's 6600. The problem is that it doesn't lead by much.
And another important question, when are you going to launch something?
Apple's changes this time are minor, by the time your PC project is implemented, their next-gen computer might have already appeared.
Based on current information, between the 6800 series and 6600, it seems there's a 6700.
Motorola is a listed company, so even if the chip department were separated, they would still hold major shares, and this information couldn't be hidden.
Motorola regrets not thinking of this sooner. William White just sliced up the 68000 and sold it.
It's that simple, with no technical barriers.
The 6700 was naturally targeted at the 8080 from the start.
With this strange situation, IBM feels utterly confused. Is this just a thorough beatdown from the start?
...
There's a lot of debate on White Software's valuation, with some saying $500 million.
This company's gross margin is frighteningly high, and those adapter cards -- they're all stacks of dollars.
As for R&D costs? They can naturally be passed onto consumers.
The best part is they're compatible with almost every system on the market. As long as you have enough sales, they will produce the compatible software.
Everyone knows these PC makers have varied systems, which is a headache for software companies. White Software's Office suite is compatible; you can use it on any brand's computer if you use their software.
This is why Lotus Software failed. They simply wouldn't let you use their format. If you dared to use it, they'd sue.
Other companies have realized this first-mover advantage is too powerful and wonder how IBM can turn the tables.
Actually, they thought too much. White Software would naturally provide the software service. They have no beef with dollars, so why would they abandon such a big client?
...
"Boss, they'll provide the software, but they want to get our system in advance."
"Damn, do they know something?"
"I think so. Bill Gates' DOS is bought; they're developing on that basis. Actually, White Software is already working on the next generation."
"I have to hand it to the kid. How does he balance these customer relationships?"
"Boss, in my opinion, he acts more like an open software supplier. As long as the price is right, he won't care who's buying."
"Let's hope so. Otherwise, we're in deep trouble."
Now, not only is the Lisa project an issue, but IBM's Chess project is too. They can't ascertain the 6700's potential. If it surpasses Intel's 8080, their position will be awkward.
*****
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