บท 248: Chapter 248: Apple's in Panic
Compaq's stellar performance completely caught everyone off guard. It really makes you wonder if this is the hidden strategy of IBM.
For Compaq, 1984 was a great year. They were much more practical than Apple. After getting Microsoft's approval, they achieved enormous commercial success.
According to the latest semi-annual report, this unique company might see profits exceeding 100 million dollars.
This unexpected news immediately shook the entire IT industry.
Markkula felt devastated; he genuinely couldn't understand how this competitor rose so quickly. If things continued like this, Apple would soon be dethroned.
If it were Big Blue delivering the blows, there would be nothing they could do about it since they're the industry leaders. But who the heck was Compaq?
What Markkula didn't know was that his nightmare had just begun. Compaq practically stepped over Apple to rise. Every time people talked about Compaq, they'd mock Apple in the same breath.
The most frustrating part was that the mastermind, the great Jobs, didn't receive any criticism.
Apple was facing serious internal trouble and had to deal with aggressive competitors. The stock price plummeted like an avalanche.
...
"Sir, Mr. Bill Gates is here."
"Great, I'll meet him in the conference room."
William White was surprised by Bill Gates' visit. Wasn't this guy supposed to be hiding in his company writing code? "Welcome, my friend. Is there anything major happening?"
"William, there isn't a major issue, but I have a bit of a headache and hope you could give me some advice."
"Haha, let me guess; you came straight from Apple, right?"
Bill Gates was taken aback. He didn't expect William White to guess so accurately.
"William, have you recruited the FBI?"
"Haha, they hate me too much to be recruited. Has Jobs been giving you a hard time again?"
Bill Gates smiled wryly and didn't know how to respond.
"Bill, you know, the next generation of Office software requires more disk space than iOS. You might not want to think about it; it's impossible."
Bill Gates didn't like the atmosphere of this conversation. The guy across from him seemed to know his thoughts like he had some cheat code.
"Haha, Markkula's desperate. If they had the right software, they might put up a fight."
"Sigh, Bill, we're both in the software business. I won't lie to you. Do I have to expose my trump card for a doomed computer? If it were you, would you?"
"I wouldn't. So, how about the Windows system?"
"Haha, I prioritize it and have enough preparation. When do you plan to launch it?"
"If all goes well, there will be a beta version next year."
"We'll fully cooperate. There will be no new versions of the Apple system. As for minor updates, they'll come later."
"The Apple II?"
"Yes, what else?"
"Haha, William, I hear they plan to discontinue the Apple II."
William White could only shake his head and smile bitterly. No need to guess; it must be Jobs' idea.
"Haha, if they weren't a publicly traded company, what you said might happen. But now? No way."
"Yeah, I hear there's quite a bit of conflict."
"Although I admire Jobs, he has no one to blame this time. If new products don't sell well, why always blame others? If I'm right, their only money-maker is probably the Apple II."
"Haha, indeed."
The two guys were mocking Steve Jobs. Through communication, Bill Gates also understood William White's thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't prioritize software; he just didn't prioritize Apple.
In fact, Bill Gates clearly noticed the issue. William White's strategy had shifted, no longer focusing on companies like Commodore or Apple. IBM and the compatible machines were the current priorities.
William White didn't really know how to describe Jobs of this era. He botched the Apple III, then ran off to tinker with the Lisa project, and when that flopped, he created the Macintosh.
Okay, they were initially promising, but you can't be this unreliable, can you? Whenever he couldn't solve a problem, he immediately passed the buck. You really don't need to mention how poor his relationships were within the company.
Markkula and the others tolerated him only because he still held some value. William White wasn't going to indulge this behavior. If they kept fighting, he wasn't even going to bother with the Apple II.
Filson was now very impressed with his boss. They managed to avoid the Apple disaster. Had those stocks not been offloaded, the losses would be significant now.
And as for Compaq, his boss had quite the foresight. The IPO next year is expected to be very profitable.
Morgan Stanley was quite frustrated. They didn't have William White's foresight. Apple's stock kept shrinking, making it hard to cash out. This was a classic case of trading stocks until you became a shareholder.
Looking around, William White's stocks seemed reliable. Even with some fluctuations, there weren't any major issues. Companies insistent on high dividends were truly ideal for long-term investment.
...
After seeing off Bill Gates, William White continued his filming. Over the years, his skills had improved significantly.
This was what he was most satisfied with -- things obtained through foresight were never quite reliable.
"Cut, that take was good," William White was very pleased with the scene that had just ended, feeling a bit restless.
Haha, when this movie hits theaters, it's going to be quite a shock, huh?
"Damn, this is a bit too much, isn't it?"
"Sigh, trust me, it's art."
"Hmph, does that mean your effort just now was a sacrifice for art?"
"Of course, if I hadn't developed you so thoroughly, how could you have given such a performance? What, you don't remember? You wanted to go straight to it back then."
"Damn it, don't you dare say it."
"Haha, you know? Your naivety at the time really surprised me."
Whether the movie would do well at the box office, Sharon Stone wasn't sure. But her notoriety definitely skyrocketed again, and what she was doing now would inevitably be fatally attractive to men.
There was nothing more to say. The young guy in the back seemed unable to control himself. After all the fussing, when would it end?
Outsmarting the old guys was quite boring. Hiding away and fooling around was far better. This delicate little thing wouldn't be as fresh in a few years.
...
Steve Jobs completely lost power. He felt abandoned, and his old friends suddenly seemed hideous. He really couldn't understand why they didn't get him.
Damn it, I'm going to confront William White. That jerk actually kicked someone when they're down.
*****
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