Reborn since 1993

Chapter 44

"Microsoft is the pioneer of America's computer age. Bill Gates created an era. No one can deny his contribution to America and the entire civilized world, even if there are some flaws in DOS that built the Microsoft empire!

But countless people still firmly believe in Bill Gates' contribution. He gave the cold computer machine a brain and wisdom. After Microsoft went public, he became the richest man in America and the idol of countless young people. Next Bill Gates, this sentence has become the best compliment to evaluate a person's talent and talent! "

The New York Times opened its article by praising Bill Gates and Microsoft. However, anyone who has read media reports knows that the more harsh the praise at the beginning, the harsher the criticism will be later. Only in this way can a strong contrast be formed, otherwise How can you convince people if you scold him from the beginning?

Sure enough, after boasting at the beginning, the tone of the report suddenly changed, "However, since the listing, Microsoft and Bill Gates have undergone too many changes.

We have reason to believe that a person's success will make him proud and complacent. This is human nature, but there will always be a day when he wakes up, but these cannot be the reasons for doing "evil"!

Since the war between Microsoft and Lotus began in 1983, Microsoft once allowed users to choose between Microsoft and Lotus. In the end, Microsoft used bundled sales to completely defeat its most powerful opponent.

After Lotus, IBM, Apple, Sun Systems, Oracle and other companies successively fought with Microsoft in systems, office software, etc., but in the end they failed to frustrate Microsoft.

After entering the hardware industry, Microsoft began to compete with companies such as Logitech and German Cherry Keyboard.

Over the years, Microsoft has never really lost a single defeat or lost a lawsuit, but has Microsoft really never engaged in malicious competition or even violated federal laws? ! "

The New York Times did not directly convict Microsoft. After all, it is a major newspaper media and must be responsible for what it said. If it were directly convicted, Microsoft would be sued. But now it is just raising questions, and Microsoft has no way to sue, or even In response, it is the rarest thing to prove one's innocence. After all, only those who have wronged you know how wronged you are, not to mention that Microsoft itself is not clean, with a pile of rotten yellow mud under its butt.

There was no direct conviction, but the New York Times used a series of questions to ask those who got the newspaper. Microsoft has never lost a lawsuit in recent years, but this can prove that it is White Lotus and has not made any mistakes. Pass?

Once the seeds of suspicion are planted, they will continue to take root and sprout until they grow into towering trees.

As soon as the New York Times' introduction came out, many media outlets began to expose Microsoft's black material. For example, when Microsoft attacks competitors such as Lotus, it usually uses three methods. First, it is a copycat. If Lotus develops any product, Microsoft will immediately paste and copy it, and then It's poaching, poaching away the core technical personnel of Lotus Company. If it can't beat them in the end, then it will be bundled with the software and sold together with the Microsoft system. If you want to sell the Microsoft system, you must buy the Microsoft software!

Relying on these means, Microsoft is almost unstoppable, defeating its opponents one after another.

Starting from the New York Times, one media after another continued to expose Microsoft's shady story, and various news that was difficult to distinguish between true and false continued to appear. At first, Microsoft did not pay attention, but after Lotus CEO Mitchell was interviewed by the media, Microsoft sensed something was wrong.

"I sympathize with what happened to the company that developed the mechanical Silver Sable mouse, but I'm not surprised at all!"

Mitchell faced the media and said with a helpless smile, "Back then, when we were competing with Microsoft, Microsoft wrote instructions into DOS, allowing users to choose between DOS and Lotus software. Either Lotus wouldn't run, or DOS wouldn't run. start up!

We finally solved the problem, but the users are gone! "

After Mitchell, many Microsoft victims have come forward, but most of those who have come forward now are software companies, accusing Microsoft of plagiarizing their software, and even directly expelling the entire project team's technical staff with their deep pockets. poach away.

Grant, the head of Microsoft's public relations department, also stood up to refute the rumors at this time, "I want to state that the current public opinion about Microsoft is just malicious remarks from competitors. The federal court has already made a ruling on disputes with these companies, and Microsoft has no right to do so." crime!"

"Damn it, wipe your butts clean. Don't let me wipe your hardware department's butts. Now the public opinion outside has begun to affect Microsoft's stock price. When the time comes, it won't be me who comes to talk to you. Explain it to the board of directors yourself!”

Grant angrily found Spencer. A broken mouse, which only made a few dollars for Microsoft in a year, caused such a big trouble. Every time Microsoft's stock price fell by 1%, more than four billion US dollars were wiped out.

If the stock price falls because of Microsoft's hardware division, then Microsoft's board of directors, Wall Street institutions, and investors big and small who bought Microsoft stocks will all have to settle accounts with Spencer.

Spencer was also a little embarrassed. He didn't expect that Li Dongling's interview could cause such a big stir. He actually felt aggrieved. Not all Lotus's opponents were caused by the software department, but this time they settled the matter. As the head of the hardware department, Spencer felt that he was even more unjust than Dou E. He didn't even get a bite of meat and was beaten repeatedly.

"Now the Manhattan Court in New York has just accepted the lawsuit filed by Tanglin Hi-Tech. We need time to fight this lawsuit. Unless we directly admit defeat now and settle with Tanglin Hi-Tech out of court to pay compensation, this lawsuit cannot be ended now!"

Spencer said helplessly, "You want Microsoft to admit defeat to that company from the technology desert?!"

Grant was also asked and was speechless. There was no way he could let Microsoft admit defeat to Tanglin Hi-tech. Where should I put Microsoft's old face? With Bill Gates's character, after knowing this, I will definitely settle the score with them.

"You handle this matter!" Grant could only say something to Spencer in the end, and then waved his hands and left. Now Microsoft is in an embarrassing situation, as is the case with Tanglin Hi-Tech, and so are the public opinions.

The lawsuit has just entered the federal court process, and it will be a few months before the trial is held at the earliest. If you want to terminate the trial, either Microsoft will admit defeat or let Tanglin Hi-Tech withdraw the lawsuit. With the attitude shown by Li Dongling, how can it be possible to withdraw the lawsuit and admit defeat? Even if Tanglin Hi-Tech goes bankrupt, You have to be disgusted with Microsoft.

As for public opinion, if Microsoft doesn't explain, the media will paint a darker and darker picture. Explain it, and you will be beaten down. Since you are not guilty, what do you explain? The explanation is that you have a guilty conscience...

In an open-air garden restaurant of a hotel in New York, Yao Luoying was lying under a sun umbrella, holding a fashion magazine, but her mind was not on that. She glanced at Li Dongling who was sitting with Larson from time to time.

"Two million US dollars have already been spent, and I also repaid more than 400,000 US dollars!"

Larson devoured the steak without caring about his image. He flew all over America these days and spent money on public relations and media, so that it seemed in the media that everyone was criticizing Microsoft.

"If you can win, you can earn back dozens of times the money you spent!"

Li Dongling said to Larson, and then asked the most critical question, "What about the follow-up media and the federal Ministry of Justice?!"

At the moment, it seems that the media is criticizing Microsoft verbally, but in fact it is just a warm-up and does not pose much threat to Microsoft.

According to Li Dongling and Larson's countermeasures, the current public opinion is just an appetizer, and the next step is the key to causing trouble and killing people with a borrowed knife!

"The Chicago Daily News will make the next report, and it depends on whether companies like HP, Dell, Apple, and Intel take over!

As long as these companies accept the recruitment, the head of the federal and state Department of Justice in California that I contacted will accept media interviews to express his dissatisfaction with Microsoft, but he will only accept one interview. "

After finishing the last bite of steak, Larson drank a full glass of red wine, "Li, we have done everything we can do!"

Li Dongling stood by the glass window of the open-air garden, looking at New York City below his feet. This war with Microsoft, the war between ants and elephants, whether they lose or win, the winner will basically be decided this week!

“How close is Microsoft to dominating the computer industry?!”

The Daily News, one of the top 20 most circulated newspapers in America, suddenly published on its homepage, "The profits of the mouse are not high, but Microsoft's tough attitude towards mouse products shows us Microsoft's determination in hardware products." !

Microsoft has almost dominated the computer system and software industry, with more than 80% of computer systems already occupied by Microsoft.

Microsoft has already launched computer peripheral accessories such as mice, keyboards, and screens. If Microsoft launches chips in the next step, then Microsoft will be able to launch its own brand of computers!

If Microsoft's system, coupled with Microsoft's own brand of computers, even continues the "past" sales method, then Microsoft will become one of the most powerful empires in the technology industry in history! "

What does it mean to follow the "past" sales method? Isn't it bundled sales? This is what Microsoft is best at.

The speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional. The Daily News report makes people see Microsoft's huge advantage in the computer industry. Indeed, only the core chip is missing. Microsoft has assembled all the components of computer hardware. If Microsoft launches Branded computers are bundled with systems and office software for sale, so which computer brand and component manufacturers, including Intel, can be Microsoft's rival? !

Originally, Microsoft and computer hardware manufacturers were at odds with each other. Major computer brand manufacturers have always been wary of Microsoft entering their territory. As soon as this report came out, it became even more difficult to tell whether this was someone deliberately trying to hack Microsoft, or whether it was someone deliberately trying to hack Microsoft. Microsoft is testing the outside world's reaction again. If there is not much opposition, it may really launch its own product.

The direct consequence of this was that the news that Microsoft was going to launch its own brand of computers was suddenly picked up by various media, and even a TV station reported and analyzed it on the financial channel. On that day, many computer sector stocks, from computer brands to parts manufacturers, were The stock price plummeted!

(End of this chapter)