I have to say, as a legend in the original time and space, Tang? In the process of confronting Tang Huan's personal computer all-round samurai, Estlic can always find the most suitable challenger.

The spreadsheet software VisiCalc is an example, as is DBase.

In fact, it's been two or three years since DBase was first developed, and its developer is WayneRatliff - Wayne? Ratliff.

Until now, he has been working at the JetPropulsion Laboratory, or JPL.

Founded in 1936 in Pasadena, Calif., this large institution is a subsidiary of NASA that develops and manages unmanned space exploration missions and is administratively managed by the California Institute of Technology.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a database project programmed in the FORTRAN language called JPLDIS, and Wayne? Ruatlife developed DBase in 1978, modeled after JPLDIS, but the name of the program was Vulcan at the time.

Wayne? Ratliff was involved in NASA's Pirate program to explore Mars, writing a database management system for the lander's software support.

He developed Vulcan to manage bets on soccer matches and make some extra money through mail-order sales, but after selling for more than a year, the market was mixed.

Vulcan was developed using Intel 8080 assembly language on the Cowherd's copycat IMSAI8080, so its operating environment is CP/N.

As a result, Vulcan caught the attention of two PC software sellers, GeorgeTate and Hal Lashlee. What do they do with Wayne? Ratliffe reached a licensing agreement. Set up a company called Ashton-Tate to run the software.

Because the name Vulcan has been used by other companies. Hal Lashlee renamed it DBase and upgraded it to 2, DBase II, for $695.

In fact, the program doesn't make any code changes, but it gives the impression of being mature and stable, and that's where the marketing professionals come in.

Everyone patronized the money, but no one noticed. From the very beginning, DBaseII was creatively ill-sourced, and it was bound to bury a huge pitfall.

Of course, Tang Huan must be the same in his heart, but could he be shouting all over the world now? Tang Dynasty? Estlic is imitating his own business routines, and DBaseII is the pawn who is charging ahead.

You must know that authoritative professional personal computer media such as "Byte" and "InfoWorld" have enshrined Zheru's spreadsheet software CGrid, word processing software WordEasy, and database software EBase as gods, and respected as the troika that drives the development of the personal computer industry.

More recently, the desktop publishing market has also been pointed out in the emerging field of the personal computer industry. It's just that because the technical threshold is too high, other companies are still unable to enter for the time being.

Such an evaluation. Whether it is an ally or an opponent in the industry, it is recognized, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is convincing.

First of all, under Tang Huan's guidance, Zheru Software is strong enough that he can crush any competitor technically as long as he wants.

Secondly, with this strong position, Zheru has made some technical authorizations that have received more and more positive reviews, such as public coding schemes, interface specifications, and so on.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is Zheru using his dominant position to try to establish industry standards.

But even if you can see it, most of the personal computers have the shadow of Zheru software, and peers have used the bait thrown by Zheru to support interaction with CGrid, WordEasy, and EBase, can you be left behind?

Moreover, with the changes in the market situation, everyone began to find that the capacity of the personal computer market is too large, and the types of hardware platforms supported by Zheru software are also limited.

Therefore, following the Zheru software, you can still drink soup.

In particular, the price of Zheru software is increasing step by step, in fact, leaving room for other products to survive.

This makes many small workshop-style companies grateful, and they are worthy of being the leaders of the practice world.

In essence, after the software matured, it was logical to raise the price, and VisiCalc went from $100 per copy to $250 per copy.

In addition, with the increasing number of software functions, the development environment of Zheru software has been fully migrated to the C language, which itself has threshold requirements for the hardware platform, and the assembly language is only used in rare cases where there are special requirements for execution efficiency.

Due to this objective limitation of software complexity, Zheru software can only choose to support valuable hardware platforms, and there are great differences in functional implementation.

Its own Fangyuan computer has full functions, Apple's AppleII is second, and other kinds of personal computer hardware platforms are decreasing, which is difficult to find without careful experience.

Therefore, Zheru's generosity has the needs of Tang Huan's layout, as well as the limitations of practical conditions.

But in any case, the influence exerted by Zheru Software on the software market by using its dominant position is generally regarded as a forward-looking move with leadership temperament.

In the final analysis, other small fish have also followed the trend and lived a very prosperous life in the personal computer industry, naturally making money, and they have no time and no courage to play any games that challenge their hegemony.

For example, Seymour of MicroPro International? Rubinstein, he had always been thinking about stealing market share from Tang Huan, and he was trying to form an anti-Tang alliance. Strangling the menacing Philosopher software.

But actually. WordStar has been emulating WordEasy. Zheru's public standards have been copied one by one, and its sales have increased from $500,000 in 1979 to more than $10 million now.

Isn't it just for profit, Seymour? No matter how ambitious Rubinstein is, he must recognize the situation and admit that staying away is the best way to survive at the moment.

In Adam? When Osborne used his shares to fight for free software for Osborne's generation machine, he knew that Adam? Osborne had a lot of support from Tang Huan. Seymour? Rubinstein was still involved, and even became chairman of the board of directors of Osborne's computer company, which illustrates his attitude.

With such a net worth Seymour? Rubinstein, when IBM recruited him, confidently refused. Big Blue's fingers at Microsoft are already an open secret in the industry, and he doesn't want to be so controlled by others.

If the IBM-PC market is promising, I will naturally support this platform, and you don't have to worry about it.

Seymour? Rubinstein's ignorance has caused problems for IBM's word processing software landscape.

The software that comes with IBM-PC includes Microsoft's BASIIC and operating system DOS, spreadsheet software VisiCalc, Peachtree's accounting software, and a text processing software, EasyWriter.

Thereinto. Peachtree, which will be acquired by ManagementScienceAmerica-MSA, even if its financial software business strategy changes. But IBM's successful acquisition of DBaseII is enough to fill all the gaps in this field.

It stands to reason that Don? The Troika of Estlic's Big Blue version of the PC application is already in place.

It's a pity that in being Seymour? After Rubinstein refused, EasyWriter, another software used to replace WordStar in the word processing software position, dropped the chain.

In terms of technical difficulty in development, among the troika, the database is the most difficult, and since the advent of Zheru's EBase, it has been seeking defeat in the microcomputer database market alone, and DBaseII, which is not even involved in the concept of relational model, can only be said to belong to a number.

In the middle of the spectrum is spreadsheet software, as evidenced by the products that have already appeared on the market, such as CGrid, VisiCalc, and SuperCalc, as well as Microsoft's announced development of MultiPlan.

Also according to the analysis of the number of products on the market, the development of word processing software is the least difficult, in addition to WordEasy, WordStar, WordPerfect, like EasyWriter, there are at least more than a dozen nobodies.

Although the development of word processing software is not difficult, it is still very difficult to really do a good job of this product.

For example, various typesetting functions should be powerful and easy to use for users, that is, there are many doorways, and it is often twice the result with half the effort by simply and rudely piling up manpower.

Seymour? When Rubinstein faced IBM, he was so stiff and would rather be a chicken head than an oxtail, which came from this background of WordStar.

IBM-PC comes with this text processing software used to make up the number of EasyWriter,The function is weak,The key is that its BUG makes users unbearable,Coupled with WordEasy、WordStarSuch a benchmark reference,Immediately attracted bad reviews,Directly reprimanded for damaging the image of IBM-PC。

Don who was sprayed a little embarrassed? Estrich, in desperation, while urging EasyWriter to improve, set his sights on another word processing software, WordPerfect, which performed well.

There is one of the largest religious universities in the United States and the third largest private university in the United States, Brigham Young University.

Bruce Bastian, a graduate student at the school, Bruce? Bastian and Professor Alan Ashton - Allen? Ashton, in 1979, developed word processing software for the mainframe system DataGeneral. Thus was born WordPerfect.

Bruce? Bastian and Allen? Ashton is very smart. This is from the future of the original plane. After going through the big waves of the personal computer industry, it can be seen that they can still be among the rich list.

The two retained the rights to WordPerfect and jointly formed a company called SatelliteSoftware International, SSI, to operate the software.

SSI's creative approach to selling WordPerfect has earned them a reputation for hiring students to market their products and after-sales services.

Given before and Seymour? The failure of Rubinstein's negotiations led to the failure to win over WordStar, which was a sufficient threat to Zheru's WordEasy, and was provoked by the uncompetitive EasyWriter. Estlic in battle with Bruce? Bastian and Allen? Ashton negotiated. The attitude is more pragmatic and flexible.

Are you reluctant to give up on product development for other PC hardware platforms? No problem, just make sure that the version of IBM-PC is completed as agreed, and IBM also provides the necessary technical support.

Under such a low profile, it is natural to get a satisfactory negotiation result.

This is the main reason why Microsoft is eager to announce its own spreadsheet software, MultiPlan, which was favored by the blue giant, but now it has VisiCalc, WordPerfect, and DBaseII to compete for favor, and it is bound to rain and dew.

Looking at the charismatic Don in the newspaper? Estlic, confidently announced, the troika on the IBM-PC platform - spreadsheets, word processing, databases. The construction of the factory has been completed, and the construction of the factory will be completed soon. And the needs of users will be 100% satisfied at that time, Tang Huan muttered to himself, "This guy's work efficiency is quite high." ”

He put down the newspaper and thought.

For the current changes in the pattern of the US personal computer market brought about by IBM, although Tang Huan is vigilant, he is fearless.

With enough information at his disposal, he has reason to believe that the more famous and even big-name the stakeholders involved, the easier it is to grasp them.

At this time, the subordinates reported that the people had arrived, and the meeting could begin.

Tang Huan nodded, picked up the newspaper again, got up and came to the conference room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do you smell the smoke of war?" Tang Huan while showing the newspaper on Tang? Estelic's high-spirited photo, while smiling and casually asking.

"It's exciting to have a face-to-face face with an enemy of IBM's magnitude." In Zheru's team, there are some elites who are aggressive by nature.

"On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, in ancient China, there was a historical period called the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,000 years ago. Large and small vassal states attacked each other, and in the end the fittest survived, and only a handful remained. ”

Tang Huan said leisurely: "The current personal computer market pattern in the United States is similar to this, and there are at least ten kinds of hardware platforms of all kinds. The state is fighting for land and population, and the enterprise is fighting for the market and customers. ”

Speaking of this, Tang Huan looked around at the audience, "Have you ever thought about what is the core of the market competition for personal computer hardware systems?" ”

"Standard." Someone's brain spun quickly and quickly answered.

"That's right, it's for the standard." Tang Huan nodded appreciatively, "In my opinion, the market elimination of personal computer hardware systems will be divided into two stages. Now in the first stage, those PCs with poor market prospects are out of the picture, and the hardware standards that come with them disappear. Once the last few of the most advantageous PC hardware systems remain, there may be competition within them for compatible machines, but only if they have accepted the standards for this hardware platform. ”

Tang Huan asked people to distribute the documents and continued to analyze: "Among the remaining winners after the first stage of elimination, there will definitely be our Fangyuan computer, this is a matter of course, otherwise we are not among the participants, and it will be difficult to discuss." ”

Laughter erupted in the room, but it also reminded everyone that if this happened, then the good days of everyone were coming to an end.

"Apple is supposed to be one because they always have their own operating system and control of both the hardware and software platform in their own hands. IBM PCs are also one, just because they are powerful enough. As for other personal computers that use the CP/M operating system, no matter who is behind them, they will only survive if they don't die. ”

Tang Huan coughed lightly, and the words changed, "However, companies like Tang Di, Kangmaoda, and Atari may have a slight exception. Because Tangdi Computer already belongs to us, Zheru may provide some kind of follow-up support for it. Commodore and Atari's personal computers, on the other hand, have won with their features because of their excellent gaming performance. ”

Tang Huan's analysis naturally integrates multiple aspects.

For example, Commodore is the company that before Jobs met Macura, he planned to sell the entire Apple company, as well as himself and Woz, for $1 million, but was rejected by him.

In 1976, Commodore acquired MOSTechnology, the company that manufactures microprocessor MOS6502, so it can do so at a lower price than its peers.

This is different from Intel, whose principle is not to enter areas where it competes with customers.

However, while Commodore produces CPUs and sells them to other companies, it also produces its own personal computers to compete with these customers, making a messy relationship, and now Apple's Apple II uses CPUs made by Synertek, the second supplier of the MOS6502.

Atari's introduction of its own personal computer began in 1979, and was also introduced by Bill Atari? Lovo took a fancy to it and tried to make it an IBM-PC, which shows that it is excellent. (To be continued......)