Traversing the courtyard

Chapter 559 The First Personal Computer

After talking about the reconstruction under the name of Hongkong Land Company, Weidong took the time to re-examine the Altiar 8800 model computer and read the introduction article from the beginning.

Altair 8800 is manufactured by Edward Roberts' MITS company, and the price is only 397 US dollars. The chip used is the 8080 microprocessor launched by Weidong last year. The article first briefly introduces Edward Roberts and his MITS company, and then introduces This new computer, Altair 8800, is introduced in detail.

What MITS sells is not the complete machine, but a bunch of loose parts. After receiving the goods, the buyer has to assemble them by himself. This is a test of the buyer's hands-on ability. This is not the practice of a mature company at all. It is more like It is a DIY computer solution, just buy all the configurations for you.

This is not as good as installing a computer in the computer city of later generations. After choosing the configuration, it will be installed and the system will be installed. You can use it when you take it home. What you receive is the accessories, and the system is gone. MITS is still at the end of the article. To put it bluntly, more software geniuses were needed to write a proper BASIC language system for the Altair 8800.

Weidong thought about it, it seems that this time the two founders of Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, cooperated to perfect their most primitive system.

Altair must rely on advertising to sell. When advertising for Altair, it was Roberts who creatively proposed the new concept of PC (the abbreviation of Personal Computer, "personal computer").His original intention was to tell people: Altair is a small utility tool that everyone can afford, not a flashy toy. Altair has only 256 binary memory groups, with 16 wire slots as memory boards, so the computer's storage capacity can reach 4096 memory groups. Altair has no screen and keyboard, and uses the Z80 language to program (there is no special assembly language for 8080 at that time), and the input data can only be realized by flipping the switch on the front panel.The output is even more outrageous: there are red lights on the front panel of the computer, and the user flips the switch in different ways, and the red light will also have different combinations. This is how the Altair "talks" to the user.

Weidong put down the magazine in his hand. The computer at this time is really crude. Seeing that this configuration is useless for ordinary people, if this is the case, then take out the first-generation Big Dipper computer that has been secretly developed before. It's exempt.

When he pressed the call bell, there was no sweet voice from Lu Meifeng inside. Weidong was very surprised. When he came out, he saw that Lu Meifeng was gone in the secretary's room. Forget it. Mi Xiaozhou and Tang Mina were buying stocks in the big family room downstairs. Let's do it.

Flipping his hand, a large computer desk came out from the open space next to it. There was also a Big Dipper first-generation computer that he assembled and copied on it. It also used an 8080 chip. Weidong was equipped with a 25.6 MB hard drive and two 128K memory sticks. , 5.25-inch floppy disk, the capacity of a single disk is 1.2 megabytes, the keyboard, the host and the 12-inch black and white monitor are all separated, and each has a wire connection.

Weidong registered a large number of related patents when the 8080 chip was launched last year. Now that the patents have been obtained, Weidong can directly push the top products of Beidouxing Company to the market.

The first generation of Big Dipper in front of us is Weidong’s lowest-end configuration combined with the current technology. It’s not that Weidong can’t make a higher configuration, but it’s just not necessary. This Altair8800, which has been sold to the MITS company, is now on the market. Enough is enough.

Besides, Weidong wrote a Big Dipper DOS system for this computer himself. Although the total size is less than one megabyte, it can be installed on a 5.25-inch floppy disk, which is thousands of times better than the Altair 8800 without a system.

Plug in the power and press the power button, and the self-test of the computer is completed in less than a minute. It is not a graphical operating system yet, and the trademark is useless, so there is no configuration. Weidong played with the keyboard for a while, and directly turned the keyboard to Pushing forward is no fun at all.

He picked up the phone and called Ruan Tao, and Ruan Tao came in after a while to see the extra computer in the office, and asked, "Didn't you say that you have to wait until you push the computer out?"

Weidong handed the "Popular Electronics" magazine to Ruan Tao and said, "Now there is a company that is selling it, and we want to launch it to build the reputation of the Big Dipper."

"Big Dipper? What brand did you give this computer?"

"Yes, just pick one at random." Weidong felt a little useless about naming, he hadn't decided on a name before, and now he decided on the brand of Big Dipper just before it was launched.

Ruan Tao didn't say much, first flipped through the magazine, read the detailed configuration list carefully, and said: "This is too primitive, you said you just waited for this?"

Wei Dong laughed and said, "You get what you pay for, and this price is indeed the only configuration available."

What good configuration can you get for less than 400 US dollars? When the 8080 chip first came out, it sold for 398 US dollars a piece. Later, the market was very popular, but the sales volume was still not much. After the production process matured, the price was gradually reduced. Otherwise, the Altair8800 will not would be so cheap.

Ruan Tao said: "That's true, but now that the general environment is not good, it's not worthwhile to launch our Big Dipper. Why don't we sell arcade machines to make money."

Speaking of arcade machines, they are a sharp tool for making money. Weidong has launched dozens of games, and the sales are good. A single arcade machine can earn thousands of dollars. The amount is still high, and now I still make money by playing games.

Although the economy has not improved in 75, it is actually much better than last year. Based on the number of orders received, this year's profit can exceed 5 million US dollars, which is really a good tool for attracting money.

Wei Dongdao: "You still don't understand my intention of launching the Beidouxing computer. This is a standard dispute in the future. Only when we launch it now can the market accept our standard."

"Standard? What's the point?" Ruan Tao asked.

Weidong listed some standards on the Big Dipper, whether it is the memory stick or the hard disk interface, the display interface of the motherboard on the back, the keyboard interface, the application of the 5.25-inch floppy drive, and a series of applications that are different from IBM. All patents are in the hands of Wei Dong's hands.

Now to launch this Big Dipper computer, one is to introduce its own various standards, and the other is to promote the 5.25-inch floppy drive. This will sell much more than computers. Weidong estimates that it will be easy to sell hundreds of millions of floppy disks a year. , selling computers is to promote this hardware, and what Weidong cares most about is the Big Dipper DOS software system, which is only one megabyte in size. This is what Weidong cares about most.

The layout has been made on the chip before, and now it is to push its own software system to the market, strive to directly occupy most of the market share, and kill Microsoft's dos system in its infancy.

Finally, he said: "How many times have I said before that the computer age will be the most profitable business, and you have seen it before. In the future, everyone will have a computer, notebook and mobile phone, and even poor countries in future generations will need to use smart phones. It can be seen that this How much profit will there be, now we are laying out the software and hardware, and then we will be invincible."

Weidong and Ruan Tao also mentioned some restrictions on the beautiful country, just like the blockade of the mainland a few years ago. Although the relationship between the two sides has eased since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 72, there are still many suppressions in later generations. Make a plan.

"Okay, then get the goods and send them to Los Angeles now, and sell them on the shelves as soon as possible."

"Let's go, I'll copy a batch of goods and talk about it later."

Wei Dong dragged Ruan Tao around and copied a batch of Big Dipper computers in warehouses in North Point, Kowloon and other places, especially tens of millions of 5.25-inch floppy disks, and tens of thousands of floppy disk drives. There is enough time.

Then I copied a batch of the missing goods, and finally Wei Dong said: "Find the most remote warehouse, and I will copy a batch of goods to Lu Qingsong."

"Didn't you rarely sell to him? Why did he ask for it again?" Ruan Tao asked curiously.

Wei Dong said: "Don't worry about it, I know it well."

After returning to the car, he rushed to the next warehouse. Wei Dong released a batch of goods, and Ruan Tao didn't ask any more questions, and went home directly after tossing around.

When I got home to tease my children, I asked Xiu Yun, "Are the two of them upstairs or downstairs?"

After giving birth, Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi didn't go to work either. Even though they both had nannies, they still stayed at home with the children. The company didn't lack these two half-hearted college students. Even Wen Xiuyun stayed at home most of the time. .

Wen Xiuyun smiled and said, "It's upstairs, I didn't play many games today."

Wei Dong curled his lips. Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi played crazy arcade games before. Fortunately, the arcade machines were produced by themselves, otherwise all the money they earned would be invested in arcade shops.

Fortunately, after the initial madness, I have calmed down a lot, and I only played a few times a day before I was busy with other things.

Wei Dong stared at Wen Xiuyun's stomach, and said strangely: "Why haven't you seen any movement, and I haven't lost my effort?"

Wen Xiuyun was just teasing the child, she was taken aback when she heard the words, followed Wei Dong's gaze to find her stomach, her pretty face flushed, and she said embarrassingly, "What are you talking about?"

As for the amount of contribution, I am even more embarrassed to say, how can such a thing be said in broad daylight.

Weidong smacked his lips, Wen Xiuyun was thin-skinned, so he turned around and paid more, and quickly let Xiuyun get pregnant too, so as not to blame Weidong for not working hard.

After a while, Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi came down, and Weidong stopped teasing Wen Xiuyun. It turned out that they bought a new batch of clothes today, and they were still talking about it after they got down.

Why did I abandon these two daughters-in-law? They were either playing games or buying clothes and cosmetics. I just wanted to say a few words, and then I thought about both of them washing Xiao Dang and Wen Xiuyun and sending them to my bed. Is there such a sensible wife?
Wei Dong couldn't get the words out of his mouth, and said with a smile: "My two wives, the game console is already being tested, and I'll bring it for you to try later."

"Game console? What's the difference between it and an arcade machine?" Qin Xiayue's eyes lit up and she asked directly.

Wei Dongdao: "Almost all these games are now, but they can be connected to the TV to play games."

"That's about the same. I thought there was something interesting."

Weidong forgot that he had dozens of arcade machines in his home. Game consoles are very fun for others. If you buy games, you can play them for free, but this advantage has no advantage for Qin Xiayue.

Wei Dong thought for a while and said, "But this one can be connected to a color TV, unlike arcade machines, we chose to only make black and white ones."

This is the biggest difference between consoles and arcade machines. There are also black and white ones, which are cheaper and have inferior configurations. What Weidong said is that the games are all in color, and the cost is higher.

"Really made it? Then get three back later." Qin Xiayue said happily.

"Three?"

"Of course, I can't play by myself."

"Okay." Looking at Yan Jiedi who pursed his lips and chuckled, and Wen Xiuyun who was full of shyness, it seemed that the two of them hadn't stopped playing.

Wei Dong said helplessly, "It's all because of you."

Qin Xiayue stretched out her hand and slapped her, and said angrily, "I won't learn any good habits following you."

Wei Dong felt aggrieved: "I can only be so good, I don't like eating, drinking, whoring and gambling."

"Bah, you have the nerve to say that eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling are the same thing. Where did my younger sisters come from? You don't want to go whoring anymore, and all of them gave away houses to be raised at home."

Yan Jiedi hurriedly put her arms around Qin Xiayue and said, "Okay, don't talk about it, why don't we go to Europe and North America to relax, and save ourselves watching this big radish at home."

"Hmph, that's fine."

The three girls got together to discuss travel plans, that's fine, now the dark clouds of the war have almost dissipated, they were pregnant and didn't go out to play, just now they have time to go out, Wei Dong is eager to go out for a while, himself Then there is time, hehehe!

Weidong grinned twice, and Wen Xiuyun found out. He just smiled secretly and made a face at Weidong, without revealing Weidong's small thoughts.

Weidong saw that Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi were still discussing whether it is better to send out perfume or Italian perfume is more pure, he turned his head and glared at Wen Xiuyun, walked forward to the restaurant holding hands, "Don't talk nonsense, It will be cleaned up in a while."

Wen Xiuyun just nodded shyly, and then called Qin Xiayue and Yan Jiedi who were still discussing to come over for dinner.

The next morning, Mr. Wei Dong went to work to deal with the daily affairs, and then took the time to call Phyllis,
"Dear Yi, why did you remember to call me?"

Wei Dong smiled and said, "I left some best-selling products for you, and put them in a warehouse. You can sell those products, and you will have money."

"Goods that can pass Minglu?"

"Of course, I can't give you any parallel imports. Don't worry about selling this one, there won't be any trouble."

Phyllis said happily: "Yeah, that's great, I'll wait for you that night, I learned a new move, I'll show you later."

"Okay, let's do it tonight."

(End of this chapter)