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No matter how dazzling the trailer of the movie "Titanic" was at this year's Zheru Spring Developer Conference, it was just to better display the technical achievements. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In fact, streaming and online sales are two applications of great value, reflecting many of the achievements of the Internet to the present.

For example, the trailer of "Titanic" played in the form of streaming shows that the Internet bandwidth has reached a level capable of transmitting video; Fangyuan, Zheru Software and EA officially launched the Internet online sales system, which shows that a complete set of systems in the background, including databases, has the ability to cope with the explosive simultaneous request of thousands of connections under the Internet state.

On the other hand, the client computer that the user directly feels the user experience can process the streaming media transmitted from the network in real time and finally play it back to the monitor. It can finely present the multimedia product introduction materials pushed by the Internet online sales system, including text, static pictures, animations, streaming media, etc., which must be strong enough.

If the previous generations of Fangyuan personal computers focused on how to improve the processing speed of hardware chips and enrich the functions of the software platform, then the six generations of Fangyuan personal computers introduced at the current Zheru Spring Developer Conference are committed to solving the "bandwidth" bottleneck of the entire system.

It's like building a city that used to focus on high-rise buildings on the ground, but as a result, when it rains, serious waterlogging occurs, and the throughput capacity of the underground pipelines has to be increased.

With the popularity of many data processing represented by multimedia applications, the subsystems of personal computers must not only be fast enough, but also increase the throughput of transmitted data - and the first part is memory.

When it comes to memory, the first term that is associated with it, or even equivalent to, is basically Dynamic_Random_Access_Memory - dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

The main reason for this is that the Static_Random_Access_Memory corresponding to dynamic random access memory is static random access memory, or SRAM. The structure is relatively complex, resulting in high cost, and is mainly used in situations such as high-speed buffering inside the CPU.

The structure of dynamic random access memory is so simple that each bit of data only needs one capacitor and one transistor to process, far lower than the six transistors usually required for one bit of static random access memory, so it has a very high density, which is more suitable for computers that need large amounts of memory.

The main difference between the two lies in this "one movement and one static" - due to the phenomenon of leakage of the capacitor in reality, which leads to the insufficient potential difference of the dynamic random access memory unit with too simple structure, resulting in the disappearance of information, so the capacitor needs to be dynamically refreshed by periodic charging, while the static random access memory with a relatively complex structure does not have this problem - only uninterruptible power, the information is stored in the memory unit constantly.

As for the disadvantages of this difference to DRAM, such as slower access speed and higher power consumption, it is not a problem for memory - the advantages of higher unit volume capacity and lower cost are enough to cover up all the ugliness.

There are different types of dynamic RAMMs used in personal computers, and this is a gradual development process.

After all. Unlike workstations and servers, products that are becoming more and more popular in consumer electronics such as personal computers can be used regardless of cost as long as the technology is good – there is a trade-off between performance and cost.

For a long time, personal computers used "asynchronous" DRME.

The general meaning of this "asynchronous" is that it acts as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that operates out of sync with the external bus frequency of the CPU.

In order to improve the data throughput of memory, asynchronous dynamic random access memory has naturally been optimized to move forward, from the earliest Page_Mode_DRAM - page mode memory is PM_RAM, to the maximum data throughput of Fast_Page_Mode_RAM - fast page mode memory is FPM_RAM with a maximum data throughput of 176MB/s, and then to the maximum data throughput increased to 264MB/s Extended_Data_Output_ RAM – Extended data output memory is EDO_RAM.

At this stage, EDO_RAM has become the mainstream memory specification of personal computers. And a further improvement on this foundation is the Burst_Extended_Data_Output_RAM - the explosive expansion of data output memory, that is, BEDO_RAM.

However, the industry generally believes that there is not much room for improving data throughput at this point in asynchronous DRAM, so it has turned to "synchronous" DRAM to find a solution.

As the name suggests, this "synchronization" roughly means that it acts as a dynamic random access memory (DRM) that synchronizes operations with the external bus frequency of the CPU.

Notable R&D achievements include: Synchronous_Dynamic_Random_Access_Memory – Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) and Rambus' exclusive patented Direct_Rambus_DRAM (DRDRAM).

In fact, both synchronous and asynchronous RAMS have a delay between the operation and the external bus of the CPU.

The problem with SDRAM at this stage is that it is inferior to the BEDO_RAM of asynchronous DRAM because of the additional logic units in the construction.

That's not a problem with DRDRAM, and there are good examples of it — just last year, Nintendo released a new generation of game consoles, the N64. In addition to being equipped with a 64-bit RISC microprocessor like the fourth-generation Xiaobawang game console, it also uses DRDRAM to achieve a data throughput of 562.5 MB/s.

However, the technical solution of DRDRAM itself is not so perfect, and it has the shortcomings of being criticized for complex manufacturing, high latency, and high heat generation - N64 has to use a passive cooling system specifically for RDRAM modules to cool.

More importantly, Tang Huan did not want to see Rambus's method of operating DRDRAM.

Obviously, Zheru is also developing various memory technologies, but for dynamic random access, the main starting point is to avoid being used as the main neck of the patent card, and the manufacturing is handed over to authorized manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and Micron.

After all, the position of dynamic random access memory in the semiconductor industry is not so high, and handing it over to followers who specialize in the operation of capital-intensive industries is also in line with the goal of equalizing interests and making the ecosystem bigger and stronger.

But Rambus is very tricky about licensing cards, as if it is counting on this thing to make a fortune - if it really grows big and becomes the mainstream specification of memory used in personal computers, then Tang Huan's mastery of the personal computer industry behind the scenes will be threatened.

Therefore, when introducing the sixth-generation Fangyuan personal computer, Tang Huan made it clear that the SDRAM specification will be adopted and supported.

You must know that a sentence from the richest man may be related to the direction of an industry and the rise and fall of a company.

As a result, industry reporters with a keen sense of smell asked questions about memory in media interactions.

For example, what is the future of SDRAM? Does DRDRAM make its way into PCs?

Tang Huan further explained that from the progress of Samsung Electronics, the latency problem of SDRAM has been well solved. In this way, SDRAM is the perfect specification for personal computer memory. Furthermore, Zheru has developed the SGAM specification for the video memory of the graphics card on the basis of SDRAM. These large-scale applications are enough to illustrate the bright future of SDRAM.

As for DRDRAM, Tang Huan answered more vaguely, only mentioning that perhaps high-end products such as workstations and servers in the future will introduce DRDRAM, which currently has an advantage in data throughput.

Originally, Mr. The richest man's statement was definitely a serious old man, but he couldn't stand the fact that the followers did not get a satisfactory answer, and there was a psychological gap.

As a result, relying on the Nintendo N64 as a model, the stock of Rambus, which had just successfully IPO on the NASDAQ, turned from a boom that investors had high hopes for, to an uncertain state of doubt, and the stock price fell staggeringly.

Tang Huan not only used a casual sentence to create the tragedy of Rambus, but also caused the "NOISE" alliance to break out into infighting through an unintentional action.

It turned out that when the richest man introduced the six generations of Fangyuan personal computers, he inadvertently started a program, although the time for "showing his face" was very short, but it was still enough for many people to see the words "Zheru Software Java Virtual Machine" from the projection.

Now the industry and the media have blown up the nest - what does this mean?

As we all know, Sun Microsystem definitely belongs to the backbone of the "NOISE" alliance, and the relationship with Zheru Software can be imagined, but why did Zheru Software suddenly get a virtual machine for the other party's Java? What about its own C#?

Tang Huan was anxious to be asked, but he just laughed and said, "What's this...... I don't know exactly what the job is going to be - maybe it's a mistake, or maybe it's a joke from a programmer......"

Of course, this answer was not satisfactory to everyone, and in the end, Sun Microsystems gave a clear explanation - it was very simple, Zheru Software got the Java license.

As soon as the news came out, some good people noticed that Jim Bucksdale, CEO of Netscape, went to the headquarters of Solar Microsystems with a gloomy face, and was sent out by the other party's CEO Scott McRiney with an angry face.

Without gossips digging into the nitty-gritter, Netscape immediately announced that it was abandoning plans to develop a new generation of browsers using Java.

Now everyone understands - there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. In the face of the dominant market share of Zheru Software, Sun Microsystems chose to defect from the "NOISE" alliance in order to promote Java, and instead cooperated with the rivals who had been in trouble.

However, strictly speaking, the "NOISE" alliance is just a word of mouth, the parties have not signed any "offensive and defensive alliance", Sun Microsystem has the right to make any decision for its own interests, Netscape is useless to thunder, who makes you have no chips in your hand that are enough to exchange benefits.

The wonderful drama in the IT circle can be described as a rush.

As soon as the Zheru Spring Developer Conference ended, there was news that DEC, the former overlord of small computers, ended its 40-year glorious history and was acquired by HP. The deal involved a whopping $9 billion and was very satisfying to DEC's shareholders.

However, it is said that the $9 billion was not paid by HP alone, and Fangyuan, Zheru, and Zheru software were also released.

Obviously, this is another "spoils" action by the big players, and the more striking results include HP getting the 64-bit RISC microprocessor Alpha; Fangyuan inherited a contract with Raytheon, and the value is not large, that is, a multi-million dollar service for the E-2 airborne early warning aircraft.

……

Ignoring all the discussions caused by this, Mr. The richest man, who temporarily put an end to the affairs of the IT circle, began to really care about the movie "Titanic", which invested a lot of money.

To be honest, Tang Huan, who can make every day have a lot of opportunities, personally ask about the movies, that is, "Titanic", and "The Matrix", where he published a novel.

Twentieth Century Fox newspaper came up with $40 million in marketing expenses, and Mr. The richest man waved his hand - the publicity should be further strengthened, and another $20 million will be given to you, and "Titanic" will be sent to the Cannes Film Festival in France for a spin.

In fact, although the preparation is sufficient, the project of "Titanic" is too big, and the whole production process is full of twists and turns, coupled with the director James Cameron, who is under deep pressure, works very strictly, and even was retaliated by people with hallucinogenic drugs in the soup, and dozens of people in the crew have been put down, and all kinds of negative news have made the critics see "Titanic" as the next "Water World".

You must know that the production cost of "Water World" alone reached $175 million, and as a result, after its release in the summer of 1995, the box office revenue in North America was only $88 million, but fortunately, the overseas box office performed much better, earning twice the total box office in North America - $176 million, which allowed the film to escape the catastrophe of "becoming the most money-losing film in history".

Now, although the big ship of "Titanic" set sail as scheduled, and the trailer effect is also good, the beginning of "Water World" was also very good, and the result was not a cliff-like cold reception!

The outside world instinctively asks - will "Titanic" make the history of the richest man good at investment appear a discredited record?