Coming to the reception room, Bill. Gates personally brewed a cup of milk coffee for Ling Shizhe. After taking a sip, it felt like the taste was average, and it seemed that Bill was not good at punching coffee.

Ling Shizhe thought to himself, how nice it would be to have a digital camera now, take a picture and post it on the Internet, and tell netizens in the 21st century, you look at Bill. Gates personally brewed the coffee for me, envy it! will definitely envy those netizens to death.

"Sir, Mr. Ling." Bill's call brought Ling Shizhe back to his senses, looking at Bill looking at him intently, Ling Shizhe hid and said, "Sorry, I was thinking about your basic program just now, judging from the name, this program should be a computer language developed for beginners, right?" ”

Bill. Gates nodded: "You're right, sir, the full name of Basic is rsall-pude (Beginner's All-Around Symbolic Instruction Code), which is a programming language designed for beginners, and when I was a student at Harvard University, I wrote the language with Altair for MITS. ”

Ling Shizhe knew that this was Bill. Gates's entrepreneurial history is that while working for MITS, the two came up with the idea of starting a company. It wasn't long before the two dropped out of school and moved to Albuquerque, where they founded Microsoft in a local hotel room.

By 1977, Microsoft Corporation moved to Bellevue (Redmond), Seattle, where it developed PC programming software. In 1979, MITS was closed, and Microsoft continued to develop with the modification of basic programs as its main business. In the early days of the company's establishment, it mainly sold basic interpreters. At that time, computer enthusiasts often developed their own small basic interpreters and distributed them for free.

However, since Microsoft is one of the few commercial manufacturers of Basic Interpreters, many home computer manufacturers use Microsoft Basic Interpreters in their systems. With the rapid growth of Microsoft Basic interpreter. Manufacturers began to adopt the syntax of Microsoft Basic, as well as other features to ensure compatibility with existing Microsoft products.

It is because of this cycle that Microsoft Basic has gradually become a recognized market standard, and the company has gradually taken over the entire market. Bill. Gates also amassed the first initial funding.

In this world, the Basic program is not very important for the PC. Because Ling Shizhe already has a BIOS interpreter for PC external compatible devices as the standard in the computer market.

"Since Basic was developed for beginners, we should have the possibility of collaboration."

"I wonder what kind of cooperation?" As soon as I heard that I could work with Ambrera, Bill. Gates' eyes lit up, and his heart became alive.

Seeing the expression overflowing, Ling Shizhe sighed in his heart, Bill at this time is really young, joys, sorrows and sorrows are all written on his face, if he is the richest man in the future. No matter how surprised you are, you can't see any expression on his face.

"Have you visited our exhibition area?"

"Go, the desktop publishing system and the lightwave table are the greatest inventions." Bill. Gates slapped the sycophants.

Ling Shizhe said noncommittally: "In addition to these two products, we have also launched a machine for beginners - computer learning machine. ”

"Computer learning machine?" Bill. Gates' eyes lit up, "Sir, do you mean to sell computer learning machines with basic?" ”

Ling Shizhe nodded and said: "That's right, Bill, basic is a programming language developed for beginners, and PC personal computers, at present, the price is still too high for most American families, and people very much want to master the high-tech knowledge of computers." Thus the computer learning machine was born, which has both the functions of a home game console and the most basic computer functions. What's more, it's very cheap, and you can bring a console and a computer home at the same time for only $499.

Of course, in terms of performance, it is much worse than a real PC computer, but for computer beginners, the computer learning machine is enough. ”

Ling Shizhe's computer learning machine has more than such functions, you must know that the CPU used on it is K80 (that is, the Z80CPU of the previous life) chip, this processor is very good, it is too wasteful to use it just as a learning machine, so Ling Shizhe added a lot of external interfaces on the learning machine, and then added a BIOS interpreter and network card on the internal PCB circuit board. It is compatible with most external PC devices on the market.

For example, printers and switches. It's equivalent to an ultra-cheap PC, and the structure of the K80 is basically the same as that of a high-end Povos processor. The same SSE1.0 instruction set is used, and many PC software can be fully compatible, so that the learning machine can not only learn the computer, but also can be used as an office computer for micro enterprises, plus the function of the game console, the average family can also consume, becoming a necessary equipment for European and American families, which greatly expands the application range of the learning machine.

If you think the performance of the learning machine is low, then you can spend money to buy a PC, as long as you can operate the learning machine, there will be no obstacle to operating the PC.

Basic is a literal translation of the programming language. Kemeni and Thomas. Katz and his wife invented a high-level language for college students on campus to make it easy for college students to use computers. It was later replaced by Bill. Gates was ported to the PC and became the language of choice for beginners learning computer programming.

It can be said that the basic language and the computer learning machine are a natural pair, and the combination of the two allows beginners to master the computer as quickly as possible.

"I hope that from now on, every Apple computer learning machine can be shipped with a basic program floppy disk for users to try for free, and when users want to officially use basic, then they need to pay at a price of $35 per set." ”

"Yes." Ling Shizhe thought for a while and agreed: "We can cooperate for a month according to your idea and see how the effect is, but there is a requirement, your basic language cannot appear on other competitors' computers during this time." ”

Bill. Gates raised an eyebrow and groaned for a moment. "As you wished, I agreed, but I also had a request. The sale of the software is settled once a week, and I have to pay me $6,000 in advance. In order to develop this program, my company had some financial turnover difficulties. ”

Ling Shizhe nodded understandingly, "No problem, but you'd better send someone to the company's headquarters every day to keep an eye on it, and if there is any bug, fix it immediately." ”

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on your company myself." Bill. Gates immediately agreed, he thought to himself. In the future, Ambrera will report that it is a good time to learn how to manage a large international company.

"Then let's sign the contract." Ling Shizhe began to arrange for people to draft legal texts, and after watching Ling Shizhe leave the reception room, Bill. Gates excitedly shouted to his men: "Guys, I have a gut feeling that by the end of the year, the monthly sales of Basic will definitely break through the mark of one copy, this thing called a computer learning machine is too imaginative." ”

Ignoring the excited cheers of Microsoft employees behind him, Ling Shizhe signed the contract and left an advance payment of $6,000. I went straight back to the exhibition area of Ambrera Company, but I didn't expect to meet Wang An again.

Since Wang An helped Ling Shizhe last time, they hadn't seen each other for many years. Unexpectedly, this time the reunion made Ling Shizhe feel embarrassed.

At present, the main product of Wang An Computer Company is WPS-word processing machine, because it is extremely good, IBM's similar products have been defeated.

Wang An's word processor is very popular in Southeast Asia, and in many Hong Kong movies, it is this device that the female secretary looks down and crackles.

However, under the competition of PC computers with word processing software WPS and Hanka, the market share of Wang An's word processing machine has been greatly affected, and even the two companies have begun to have a disagreement.

Wang An Computer Company is a rare Chinese-led successful enterprise in the United States, and Ling Shizhe sincerely hopes that this ally can be maintained. Instead of becoming an enemy.

Seeing that Ling Shizhe was still as modest and polite as he was many years ago, Wang An put down his snack a little.

These days. Its own word processors are being chased and blocked by PCs in the Asian market, and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. No matter who it is, it will be unhappy.

However, what he saw and heard at the CES scene this time made Wang An suddenly discover that the development of personal computers is simply like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of trees and pear blossoms are blooming, and many electronic companies in Europe, the United States, Japan and Taiwan have joined the PC camp, which Wang An did not expect.

Ling Shizhe followed Wang An to the back reception room of Wang An's booth, and after the guests were seated, the two sides began to chat.

"The functions of word processors are too monolithic, and it is true that there is a growing gap between personal computers and rapidly evolving personal computers. Therefore, everyone eats with their real skills, and the dragon and tiger in the market are nothing. Wang An waved his hand open-mindedly, which can be regarded as defining the relationship between the two companies, "Perhaps, as you said back then, the era of personal computers has come." ”

"So is it possible for your company to join us?" Ling Shizhe was in high spirits, if Wang An Computer Company could join his PC camp, then Ambrera would be impregnable.

Then, Wang An said lightly: "Although personal computers are the trend of the times, Wang An Computer Company will also follow the trend, but our company has been operating since the 1950s, and the most successful products are the calculators in the 1960s and the word processors in the 1970s, and now the 1980s into the personal computer, it seems to be reasonable, after all, each product has its own life cycle." ”

"The historical heritage of Wang An Computer Company is really admirable." Ling Shizhe had a bad premonition.

"After so many years of ups and downs in the business world, I firmly believe in one truth." Wang An's eyes looked into the distance, as if he was recalling something, and then slowly continued: "That is, the technology of the product must be in your own hands. ”

Sure enough, Ling Shizhe frowned, there is a kind of rush that history repeats itself, Wang An in history is because he went it alone to develop his own set of personal computer standards, which led to a huge loss for the company, and this time Ling Shizhe has released great goodwill, but I didn't expect Wang An to still choose to go it alone, without the slightest interest in cooperation.

Ling Shizhe was lame, and he didn't know what to say for a while, Wang An Computer Company has developed to the present, with tens of thousands of employees around the world and hundreds of millions of sales, so every decision made by Wang An in his own company cannot be questioned.

What's more, Ling Shizhe left him the relevant technical information of laser printers and photocopying, faxing, and printing all-in-one machines, whether there is no word processing machine, or the development of personal computers has failed, just relying on these two things, as long as there is no brain-dead command, even in the 21st century, he can still live a very nourishing life.

As a result, the coincidental meeting between Ling Shizhe and Wang An, in addition to easing the tension caused by the fierce market competition, the idea of the two Chinese companies joining hands to develop the field of personal computers directly fell through.

Before leaving, the unwilling Ling Shizhe persuaded the other party again, but Wang An was so hard-hearted that he didn't agree to join Ling Shizhe's PC camp.

Ling Shizhe had no choice but to sigh helplessly and left, I would have turned my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch, no matter how I said it, it was useless.

When I returned to Ambrera's booth and saw a large number of product orders signed by countless business representatives from all over the world and the company's sales staff, I felt a little better. (To be continued)