[Chapter 519: One Step Ahead Again]
William White calculated against Bill, but we'll skip that part for now. White Systems proudly announced a breakthrough in the development of 16 megabyte memory, planning to achieve mass production within the year.
The public may not understand the implications, but the IT industry certainly did. With large capacity memory, video acceleration cards would experience a small boom, and personal PCs would see a significant leap in computational speed.
The bottleneck restricting computer development was no longer the CPU. The capacity of memory and hard drives was the biggest issue at the moment.
The release of Windows 3.0 significantly stimulated the personal PC market. Compaq and Dell timely launched new models.
Of course, the Big Blue was still sluggish, Apple was still sleepwalking, and Commodore remained stuck in their outdated ways.
In light of this 16 megabyte technology, the Japanese were at a loss for words. Not long ago, they couldn't even produce one megabyte. Just a few months passed, and now they had to rely on technology from the U.S.
The only fortunate part was that they had invested in this company; otherwise, the loss would have been too great.
"William, now that you have this memory, the 3D acceleration card won't delay anymore, right?"
Faced with Jobs' teasing, William White could only chuckle. "Man, I've been trying hard, alright? If this thing were handled by Apple, you'd be lucky to get it in three years. Steve, my scientists are the best. In fact, the engineering card is already here, and we're developing the corresponding 3D engine."
"Oh, let me see." Jobs was not one to hold back; that proud guy didn't really know how to be polite.
William White shook his head and chuckled, "Heh, look, that's the computer with the lid open; just don't let it slip out."
"Pff, the one who likes to steal is named Bill," he thought to himself. Seeing Microsoft doing so well, Xerox must be going crazy.
"Wait, this is for gaming?"
"Steve, your understanding is off; first of all, I'm just testing games, and secondly, don't you think only games need the most advanced computers?"
"Nonsense, of course, it's the graphics processing unit that has the highest requirements. You know, simulating 3D graphics on a computer is really cool."
"Sigh, fine, you win. We're just after different things; you chase dreams, while I chase wealth."
Jobs didn't think much of William White's words, but he sighed inwardly. Indeed, what was more important, dreams or wealth?
They were quite straightforward; no matter how expensive your graphics processing unit was, it wouldn't matter. After all, it was a niche product.
Looking at the current PC market, was it any different? Don't even mention that little company; IBM and Apple were also getting knocked down hard.
"William, you should acquire a PC manufacturer; I personally think Apple would be a good choice."
"Heh, to be honest, I've considered it, but right now isn't the best time. The competition is just too strong, and I have too many constraints here."
"Tsk, yeah, if you keep developing like this, the Justice Department won't just overlook you."
Jobs still had feelings for Apple; he was in a contradictory mindset. He didn't want to see the company fail, but he also didn't want to see it take off.
Of course, if William White acquired the company, he was pretty sure he'd have decent competition for the CEO position.
He knew William White's character well; he appreciated capable people. He could maliciously acquire Oracle and kick Larry Ellison out. He could also offer a high salary to bring back that guy; he respected such vision and ambition.
...
"A music player? What on earth is that? Which company developed it, and how much did it cost?"
"Sir, it's said that this was casually tinkered with by William White during his free time. Although it's a test version, it works just fine. As for the price, this software is free; it can be downloaded freely from NBC online, and purchasing the office suite will include it gratis."
Listening to his subordinate's report, Bill Gates felt a twinge of pain. He had initially thought this was something from a certain studio, which could be absorbed without fuss. His 3.1 system would add those multimedia features.
Now it was different; absorb from William White?
He was joking; he constantly worried about being absorbed himself. That's why the two companies had been negotiating for so long.
Just look at Oracle now; didn't that guy just absorb it? Gates had great aspirations; he didn't want to become some sidekick.
"Go notify the legal department for a meeting."
"Sure thing, sir."
Bill Gates knew William White's style very well; he had so many industries in his hands, how could he possibly have time to spare? Not to mention him, even Gates himself barely wrote source code anymore.
The guy intended to sell that player software, and it couldn't be bundled with his operating system. This related to fair competition, which wouldn't be easy to clarify.
...
A small product launch stirred up various ideas in the IT world. One had to admit, there were a lot of smart people.
They finally understood why William White insisted on dynamic memory. If he didn't have this in his hands, his cost control would face problems.
Now, not only did he succeed, but he also regained the initiative.
"What? Third-party suppliers? We have them, but just go find NEC and United Microelectronics; those guys think they can snag this, but it's not possible."
"Ha, I get it, sir; they were just testing the waters."
"When we sold them equipment, they were more than happy. Do they really know how much trouble those South Koreans have caused us? Hmph, tell Micron that the South Koreans have developed successfully; they can go directly buy a production line."
"Got it, sir, I understand."
Filson shook his head and left. They all said don't hit someone in the face, but this boss had a unique character; he only aimed for the face when striking.
*****
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