Reinventing the Millennium

Just when Apple noticed the moves of its competitors, Fang Zhuo was also studying Apple's moves in the hotel.

Because Yike + Sony and Google still have many details to discuss, Fang Zhuoyi and others did not return to New York. They will temporarily return to San Francisco after handling the joint acquisition.

But Stringer, the head of Sony, has left, leaving only Sony's team to negotiate with Yi Ke.

"Stringer left first like this? He is really relieved about your two alliances."

Yu Hong signed some documents related to the sale of Yike shares, and looked up to see the lines on the boss's profile looming in the heat of the coffee.

After a long time, Fang Zhuo said "hmm".

After a while, he continued: "We paid for the money, so he has nothing to worry about. Stringer is now determined to compete with Microsoft for Blu-ray standards, which is a big deal for Sony. There is also PS3. He has nothing to worry about." It’s just a matter of convenience.”

Yu Hong also paused for a while, and when the boss picked up the coffee cup, he said: "So, you have to take back his 'easy way'. Don't you believe Stringer?"

Fang Zhuo raised his neck and turned to look at Xiao Yu: "Of course."

"In other words, I don't believe in Stringer. I believe in Stringer who needs beautiful reports."

"He's obviously more trustworthy now than he was when he needed to step up."

"Sony does not attach as much importance to Android as Google does to us. It is said that Yike and Sony are close partners. This is when Stringer is here. What happens when he leaves?"

"How could I not think about it in advance? Sony's attitude must be different when Stringer is here and when he is not there, so I'd better spare myself."

Yu Hong laughed dumbly, "Ron, spare, spare, this is to spare your innocence, right?"

She shook her head slightly and changed the topic: "Apple doesn't seem to be making any moves on the chip, and I haven't collected any news about its mobile phone project."

The information in the boss's hands was a summary of Apple chips, and after it passed through her hands, she naturally had a look at it.

Now that Mr. Fang is so attentive, I wonder what is different about him.

Fang Zhuo shook the information in his hand and sighed: "The more I want to do well, the more I find that everything is lacking."

If Yike wants to come up with a smartphone, it must be as excellent as possible in all aspects.

As an imaginary mobile phone opponent, it is natural to learn from Apple.

You can’t learn the system, and you can’t learn Apple’s OS even if you want to. Fortunately, there is an Android camp that can step up.

Another commendable chip from Apple…

Fang Zhuo remembers that the chips used in Apple mobile phones were not used in the first generation, but looking at it now, Apple and chips have been connected as early as 20 years ago. The earliest was the "Aquarius" project in cooperation with AT\u0026T, which targeted quad-core RISC processors.

However, Apple's design was quite non-mainstream, burning through its budget of tens of millions of dollars, and eventually disbanded the team and screwed AT\u0026T Group.

At that time, the AT\u0026T Group had just been split up and reorganized by anti-monopoly, and its vitality was severely damaged. After the failure of "Aquarius", even another "Hobbit chip" developed in cooperation with Apple was not adopted.

The two companies broke up.

This failure did not stop Apple from trying to develop chips. In the 1990s, it joined forces with IBM and Motorola to create the PowerPC chip architecture.

A product that also failed.

But in the same year, in order to share research and development costs, Apple, Acorn, and VLSI jointly separated the ARM architecture from Acorn and established ARM Company.

It was the success of ARM that allowed Apple, which was in trouble but welcomed back Jobs, to overcome the difficulties. The 40% of the initial investment in the shares was successively sold, and the cash in exchange solved Apple's urgent needs.

Until 2002, the shipment volume of ARM architecture chips exceeded the 1 billion mark, becoming one of the most popular chip architectures on the market.

"Apple has repeatedly failed and fought hard. It knows a lot about chip design." Fang Zhuo folded the information so that Xiao Yu could see the latest Apple trends.

The above is the latest news in 2005. Apple announced that it will switch to Intel for computer chips.

This is another setback for the partner P.A. Semi chip company. The "PWRficient" chip based on the PowerPC architecture developed by this company for Apple computers suddenly became useless.

Because Apple is the last player in the PowerPC chip architecture, Semi's R\u0026D expenses of at least tens of millions of dollars have been wasted.

Yu Hong asked: "Are you saying that Apple switched to Intel because Intel's chips are more suitable for its computers?"

She didn't quite understand what her boss meant.

Fang Zhuo figured it out backwards. Apple has extremely successful self-developed chips. However, Apple currently has no team information in this area. Although it is not ruled out that it keeps the chips as strictly confidential as mobile phones, it is still strange.

Let’s look at P.A. Semi. The talents in it are all top-notch in the industry. Apple suddenly abandoned the “PWRficient” chip that was reportedly developed with Jobs’ approval...

This company is in trouble.

"Mr. Yu, please go out of your way and help find out who's in P.A. Semi. It's worthy of Steve Jobs." Fang Zhuo did not answer Xiao Yu's question directly.

Yu Hong changed her mind and understood what Mr. Fang meant. Apple suddenly found Semi Company in trouble, maybe it wasn't because of the chips.

Because the public information from Semi is that the maximum 2Ghz standard power consumption of its chip is only 13W, while similar chips from Intel are 20-25W. The targeted development of the former is logically more suitable for Apple computers.

So, if Apple has the motivation to renew its chips, it may be targeting the people in Semi. This company's PowerPC chip architecture has almost no customers after losing Apple - the PowerPC chip architecture was built by Apple, IBM and Motorola. Products that don’t have a big market.

The circle that has been going around for 1990 may come to an end in 2005.

"Do you think Jobs might be deliberately trying to bring down this company?" Yu Hong asked in surprise, "This... Mr. Fang, are you looking too far from your own perspective?"

"Those who are engaged in business are more or less petty. It is because I respect Jobs that I think of him this way. If I were in his position, if, I mean if, if I had the determination to make chips, I must do it." Fang Zhuo Shrugging, "This company that is subject to me because of its development of PowerPC chip architecture is a good choice."

No matter who wants to make chips, capital is second, and talent is the real first priority.

Bingxin suffers from this in mainland China. There are so few relevant talents that it is difficult to squeeze them out.

Fang Zhuo asked again: "Do you think Apple has the determination to 'must do it'?"

Yu Hong hesitated.

Judging from the history of Apple, it tried to design chips 20 years ago. After repeated failures, did it lose heart or become more courageous with each setback?

She shook her head: "It's not easy to judge."

Fang Zhuo nodded slightly: "I'm inclined to do it."

"Do you think its mobile phone should use its own chip?" Yu Hong asked.

"If your own chip is good, then you will definitely use it. Even if it doesn't work for a while, learn from experience and continue. Once it succeeds, it will be the core thing, which will undoubtedly be of great significance to mobile phones." Fang Zhuo said, "Although mobile phones can have a global supply chain, but If we can do it, others can do it too, so what’s the advantage?”

Yu Hong answered: "Android system?"

"After all, it is open source. It can have a slight advantage in this aspect. The key is to master the core technology." Fang Zhuo stated, "If Yike was previously trying to integrate software and hardware for Internet music, then the mobile phone strategy is... …”

Yu Hong stared at Mr. Fang's thinking expression.

"Continue to invest in research and development, vertically integrate the supply chain, and master core components." Fang Zhuo said after considering, "Finally, let's see what step we can take."

Yu Hong thought for a while, but for a moment, she was thinking of the ice core far away in Luzhou.

She asked: "I'll let people check this Semi company first. What if there are indeed many talented people in it? Do you want to acquire it? If it can be targeted by Apple, it may not be cheap."

"It is for making computer CPUs. If we have a computer business, we can bite the bullet and give it a try. But our main conflict now is to create a commendable mobile phone and ensure that Yike will not fall into the wave of mobile Internet." Fang Zhuo narrowed his eyes, "The acquisition must be expensive, otherwise Apple would take action directly."

He continued: "If Apple wants to bring it down, then we can poach people along the way, which is much more cost-effective."

Yu Hong: "... Did you dig wherever you went?"

Fang Zhuo spread his hands and said distressedly: "If it could be calm and peaceful, would I be willing to take the trouble to poach people?"

"Check, I'll find someone to check." Yu Hong just complained. She also knew this.

"Shanghai needs to establish an Asian Android R\u0026D center, and Yike also needs to establish a chip department in New York or Silicon Valley." Fang Zhuo added a new construction content, "Apple has been experimenting with chip design twenty years ago. Let’s sharpen our sword every year.”

Yu Hong stood up, nodded and said: "Ten years to sharpen a sword, and two years to poach someone."

Fang Zhuo shrugged: "I'm serious. Even if I sharpen my sword for ten years, I can still see my own mobile phones using my own chips. We will have a meeting to discuss the budget issue when we return to New York."

"Does Mr. Fang have any other orders?" Yu Hong was going to find someone to inquire about the situation of Semi Company.

Fang Zhuo looked into Xiao Yu's eyes and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Yu Hong avoided her eyes and turned to leave: "It should be."

Fang Zhuo watched Xiao Yu's back disappear, took a sip of coffee, and quickly scanned the movements on the Apple chip, re-confirming its history and the results of his fragmentary memory.

Regardless of whether you are just speculating on what Jobs did to Semi, one thing is certain: Yike needs relevant talents. This kind of "sharpening" can give mobile phones core competitiveness and is expected to activate the potential of Ice Core.

When Fang Zhuo thought of the ice core, his mood suddenly became happy.

While he was happy, he took out his mobile phone to contact the country.

Domestic media relations should let go of the news about SMIC and Bingxin. The former has reconciled with Taiwan journalists and is moving forward again. It is worth talking about the prospects for the media. The latter is about to be mass-produced, but even if it is mass-produced , the prospects are not as good as SMIC.

Spring and Autumn brushwork can be used.

——"SMIC may consider acquiring Ice Core"

——"Fang Zhuo is suspected of being in contact with SMIC"

——"Ice core may move back to Shanghai"

——"The signal of mass production is an opportunity for the rich to exit"

Considering the current production situation of Bingxin and the situation of shareholders, I really can’t squeeze out any money from my own hands. Even the mortgage money for Yike shares has to be paid by Xiaoyu to help cross the bridge. The local Luzhou last time It has been difficult to allocate funds for investment, and it is not appropriate to crowd out others this time.

If Bingxin wanted to get money, he could only find a way from other shareholders.

Fang Zhuo found someone to arrange the media, and said hello to Xiong Xiaoge of IDG. What he told him last time was about to be implemented. When he finished his work in the United States, he would collect money from others together.

All the remaining coffee in the coffee cup was drank.

Fang Zhuo sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and considered his recent schedule and priorities.

…

There have been no further disturbances in the joint acquisition of Android companies by Google, Yike, and Sony.

The final purchase price and shareholding ratio remained unchanged.

At the same time, the three companies have promised the development team headed by Rubin to give them a high degree of freedom to develop mobile operating systems.

Taking into account the ecosystem and development of Android, Google believes that it should release the source code when necessary, establish relevant online communities and contact players upstream and downstream of the mobile phone system.

As a shareholder of Android, Fang Zhuo personally participated in the first Android company development seminar and strongly agreed with Google's suggestion.

He has also taken on the task of persuading China's three major domestic operators, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, to join the Android Open Alliance.

Google has initially made a list, involving operators, semiconductor companies, terminal manufacturers, software developers and corresponding commercial companies in different countries.

In Asia, both Yike and Sony have to play more roles.

Fang Zhuo asked curiously after the meeting and learned that Google's plan in this area was designed after confirming that it would acquire Android. It was quite ambitious.

April 17th.

After inspection organized by Yu Hong, Semi Company, which was mentioned many times in Apple materials, has a more detailed receipt. It is indeed full of talents.

In addition to Dan Dobberpuhl, who founded the company and is a technology guru himself, the company also includes Jim Keller, a chip architecture guru who is well-known in Silicon Valley, Sribalan Santhanam, a low-key but powerful Indian chip engineer, and Chen Zongjian, a Chinese genius who was born in Fudan University. etc.

These are first-class and even top talents.

When Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong discussed the specific situation of Semi, he increasingly felt that there was no problem in judging Apple's actions and that the company was indeed being targeted.

Before he could think about and express his opinion on the talent discovery of Semi Company, the phone on the table had a call from China.

"There is a problem with the joint investment in panels by domestic TV manufacturers!"

"It was almost finalized to build another production line in Tianjin with BOE, but Samsung suddenly found a place and was willing to invest in building a panel production line."

"Now everyone is hesitant, and the investment promised by the government is also wavering. They want Samsung panels even more!"