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CPT's computer sales strategy was soon implemented, and Alex only proposed a general direction, and the specific details were naturally perfected by relevant personnel.

For IBM, the biggest impact is not on the Cray I-type computer, because their market share has always been positioned in the middle and low end. In the high-end market, IBM has no way to compete with CPT, and every time they try to hit the high-end market, they will be repelled by the improved first-generation computers.

Fortunately, computers, no matter how much the price is set, are high-profit products compared to other industries. After all, IBM has a lot of connections, and as long as they can get a product, someone will order it. The difference is only in earning more and earning less, selling more and selling less.

Although the Cray I-type computer costs as much as $1ooo dollars, it still receives a lot of orders, especially from government departments and research institutes, who have an urgent need for the world's fastest computer.

What's particularly powerful is that CPT's original computer announced a significant price cut, and its price has made many low-end customers flock to the company to learn more about the situation. When many users heard the news, they immediately abandoned IBM computers and switched to the original computers of CPT.

IBM was simply stunned by this news, this posture is completely to be killed!

This month, IBM's transistor computer research work is nearing completion, and they thought they would be able to launch it first, and even if they didn't, they would be able to match the performance of the "Cray I" computer.

What I didn't expect was that they were completely fooled. CPT's previously published computer parameterization was a smoke bomb designed to fool their competitors. The performance of the real "Cray I" computer is far more than several times better than the number jù they got in the first place, not to mention the number jù they used as a reference.

"What the hell is going on! Why is it that our computers are still being researched, and they have already been thrown out of eight streets so far! Little Watson was so angry that he questioned the meeting again and again, trying to find out if he had been fooled by his men.

Under the gaze of others, Lierson, vice president of IBM, could only stubbornly reply: "This is because they use the latest integrated circuit board design, and our researchers have analyzed that CPT has made a major breakthrough in the research of integrated circuit boards, so that their computers are much more advanced than ours." ”

"Can't we just go ahead of them? Now that you know that the integrated circuit board is important. We also use such a technique. So why not get a more advanced technology before they do it? Watson Jr. was still angry and held his men accountable.

At this time, Wally, the head of research, replied: "I'm afraid this is a bit difficult, we just got the right to use the integrated circuit board." There is no way to improve on it. Unless we can get around this patent. Otherwise, you will always be controlled by others. ”

"Then get around it. Give me a way around this patent! Watson Jr. roared.

Research Director Wally hesitated for a moment, then replied, "It's going to take a lot of money and time to do, or else." At best, we are only able to match the integrated circuit board technology of CPT. Not to mention going over the other side. ”

Watson Jr.'s order was to develop a series of computers composed of integrated circuits and eliminate outdated transistor machines as soon as possible. Lierson immediately formed a committee of engineers to work on the new machine.

After several discussions, the committee was unable to reach a consensus, and after two months, the plan had not yet been sorted out. Everyone has different opinions and wants to come up with a great solution, but how can it be easy to get through the "Cray I" computer.

Vice President Lierson, who is usually mild-mannered, couldn't sit still, and he said to the committee members: "You all move me into a hotel, and no one is allowed to go home if you can't make a plan!" Learson sent the engineers to Connecticut and "locked up" in a motel.

A week later, an eight-page report was completed with the bold headline "IBM DDS (Dragon Slayer) System Computer."

The new computer system is named Dragon-S1AYER, referred to as the DS system. They said that IBM wanted to challenge CPT with the mentality of a dragon slayer, and wanted to show their determination in this way.

Lillson roughly estimated the cost required: "500 million yuan for research and development, 1o billion yuan for production equipment investment, and 3.5 billion yuan for marketing and leasing advances." The entire dragon slaying plan requires a total investment of 5o billion! ”

You must know that the "Manhattan Project" for the United States to develop its first atomic bomb only spent $200 million.

The American press was stunned. Before the dust had settled on the news of the "Cray I" computer, IBM's dragon-slaying plan was already in a lot of uproar.

The New York Times said: "The blue giant vows to slay the dragon, and the computer market is making waves again!" ”

The Washington Post, which has been described as the most credible media in the United States, also said loudly in the newspaper: "CPT has just reached the top, and IBM is ready to pull it down!" ”

The headline of Happiness magazine read: "IBM's $500 Million Gamble!" ”

The New York Post gloated: "The two companies are fighting hard to benefit the consumers." ”

The Baltimore Sun newspaper was not optimistic about IBM's move, saying in the paper: "Only the crazy will make a desperate bet, and if IBM fails to slay the dragon, it will fall into the bottomless abyss!" ”

By Watson's own admission, it was "one of the biggest and most risky decisions he ever made" in his life.

The next step was to find a manager for the technical design of the "Dragon Slaying Project". Watson Jr. wanted to dig Seymour in the first place? Clay comes, if the enemy's boss can be brought over, this dragon slaying plan is half successful.

It's a pity that Seymour didn't pay attention to IBM's olive branch at all, and he very simply refused: "I'm doing well in this one." I don't want to move my position just yet! ”

Of course, Alex is not an ordinary boss, he can read through other people's thoughts and understand the inner pursuits of his subordinates. For Seymour, Alex is not only a boss, but also a good friend. Seymour is the kind of sullen man who pursues the limit, and money is a floating cloud to him, as long as it is enough.

Alex is exactly what he likes, constantly supporting Seymour to climb the pinnacle of computer computing, in the process. He also gave each other a lot of good builds. This benefited Seymour deeply.

In the process of developing the Cray I computer, Alex also made great efforts, such as the change of the keyboard, the addition of the mouse, and the application of the graphical interface. Some of these things can be used. Some of them don't need it. But everything was an eye-opener for Seymour.

Left CPT Inc. It means that Seymour left Alex, and he may not be able to receive such attention and courtesy when he goes to IBM. If you change to someone else, you may be shaken by the conditions given by IBM. As for Seymour, he didn't even think about it.

Unable to dig Seymour, IBM had to find another person, and soon found a suitable person. They found an engineer named Brooks, who IBM planned to put in charge of the design of the "Dragon Slaying Project."

Brooks pioneered the first interactive operation system on a class computer, allowing users to see the screen display at the same time as they were keystrokes, and he also proposed many new concepts for modern computer architecture.

Brooks coordinates the work of four groups, three of which are led by Dr. Amdahl.

Dr. Amdahl was IBM's last tube computer, and the IBM 7O9 was written by him; Subsequently, he was appointed as the designer of the first all-transistor computer, the IBM 7O3O. He is experienced and skilled, and he is a strong man in computer research.

Dr. Amdahl especially disliked Seymour? Clay thinks that the other party just happened to pick up a pie that fell from the sky, and with the technology and financial support of CPT, anyone can make such a computer in that position. In order to suppress Seymour's limelight, he was determined to take advantage of this opportunity to design a class computer.

CPT could not afford to take IBM's dragon slaying plan lightly, and they held a seminar on the next generation of computers before they were ready for the celebration.

Alex was also present at the meeting, and he understood that this was IBM's last stand, and if CPT failed, it would inevitably make IBM's comeback. If CPT succeeds in fending off this attack, it will be able to replace IBM in the computer field for decades to come.

"IBM's dragon slaying plan this time is obviously aimed at our CPT company. Let's talk about it, is there a way to block the other party's desperate blow. ”

Seymour, as the boss of the computer department of CPT, of course, has to be led by him. His remarks soon caused an uproar among researchers, who expressed their opinions.

"People's $5O billion is not fake, when will our CPT company make a 5O billion project?"

"yes, we'll take the money and smash them too! See who smashed the more and smashed with skill! ”

"Don't want 5o billion, just a few hundred million is enough. After all, our technology is better than theirs, and we are so far ahead of others, at least we can't bully people too much. ”

"Ahem!" Seymour saw that everyone's topic was getting more and more biased, so he hurriedly came out to interrupt: "This issue should be decided by the people above, as for us, we have to choose the future direction, and then stick to it." ”

After he finished speaking, he also looked at Alex deliberately and asked the other party to say a few words.

Originally, at most Alex came to listen to such a meeting to encourage morale, but now he can't hide from it and has to say: "Research funding is not as much as possible, and IBM's several failures have proved this." Every time our CPT company succeeds, it doesn't depend on a lot of money. As Seymour said, you have to look in the right direction and keep going. ”

Alex paused for a moment to digest the passage, and then continued: "The research and development funds for our first generation computer and Cray I computer have not reached a fraction of the others, but we have succeeded in the end. That shows that on this issue, the direction must be well chosen, and you can't make mistakes, and once you make a mistake, you will lose an opportunity. ”

Seymour and the other technicians nodded yes as they thought about what kind of features and architecture the next generation of computers would need. At the meeting, various whimsical ideas were put forward in the form of brainstorming, and many of them were more practical and accepted by everyone.

The purpose of this meeting is not to decide anything, but to prepare the researchers of CPT to be mentally prepared and vigilant to maintain the morale of the previous research stage. Seymour and Alex were a little worried that the people in the group would either relax or be intimidated by IBM's menacing 500 million gamble.

Now it seems that this kind of problem has not arisen, and they are satisfied. After the meeting, Alex left Seymour behind, wanting to tell him what he really thought.

"I have an idea," Alex said thoughtfully, "CPT will need to get a personal computer in addition to a research computer in the future." ”

"Computer?" Seymour is the kind of person who pushes the limit, and he doesn't think that such a product will be of any use. He said: "Computers are so expensive nowadays, if you get a personal computer, I'm afraid no one but billionaires can afford it, right?" ”

Alex nodded yes, but he went on to explain, "That's why I wanted you to design a simplified computer yourself and eliminate some of the expensive parts and equipment. For example, the computing power of the computer can be appropriately reduced. Now with integrated circuit board technology, it is possible to integrate the transistors of the arithmetic module into a circuit board the size of a matchbox. This makes the cost much less, and other components can be done in a similar way. ”

In order to articulate the concept of a personal computer, Alex spent about ten minutes describing the concept and architecture.

After hearing this, Seymour secretly imagined it in his mind, and felt that Alex's plan was perfect and could indeed be done. It's just that he has no interest in this, he pursues the limit of computer computing, so he refuses.

"The personal computer you described may be one of the directions of the future computer exhibition, but I think we still have to focus on the research of advanced computers. Now that IBM has a dragon slaying project, I don't think I have that much energy to be distracted from working on other types of computers. ”

Alex thought about these words and felt that this was indeed the case. Now CPT companies still have to get through this first and then talk about other things, otherwise they may miss the opportunity of these decades and wait until the rise of the personal computer to win back a game. (To be continued!)