Reborn Tech Maniac

Chapter 588 IBM's Trouble

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The fundamental reason why Fangyuan Computer's Tai Chi-II is so much ahead of its competitor Cray's Cray-2/8 in performance is the difference in supercomputer architecture design.

To put it simply, there are fundamental differences in everyone's understanding and implementation of "parallelism".

This point is more concentrated on the most important computer component, that is, the CPU - the central processing unit.

In the era when personal computers were as popular as ordinary household appliances, microprocessors were basically equivalent to CPUs.But in fact, the development of CPU is also divided into several stages.

In the early 1970s, three R&D projects almost became pioneers in the microprocessor industry overnight, namely Intel's Intel4004, Texas Instruments' TMS1000, and Garrett Ilesage's CADC.

Since CADC, the primary flight control computer used in the U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, is kept under wraps, the public only knows about the pioneering work of Intel and Texas Instruments.

After more than ten years of development, the microprocessor has basically entered the 32-bit era, and its performance is far from being comparable to the original 4-bit architecture.

However, in the process of this great development of IT technology, the CPU implementation scheme before the microprocessor - discrete transistor and integrated circuit central processing unit, still has a strong vitality, such as the CPU used by Cray's supercomputer, it is so it is.

Of course, it is impossible for a new era product that represents the future to just emerge and eliminate mature existing products.Discrete transistors and integrated circuit central processors have their own advantages. For example, the operating frequency can reach very high - 1970MHz as early as the mid-80s; it exceeded 1980MHz in the 100s; and now it has increased to 125MHz.

By parallelizing several such computing units together to form a vector processor, it is possible to provide supercomputers with extremely powerful performance at present.

Cray-2/8, which competed with Fangyuan Computer Company Tai Chi-II, used 4 vector processors. It can be imagined that the computing performance is high, but unfortunately it still fell behind in the end.

Supercomputers are inseparable from parallel mechanisms. The strength of Taiji-II of Fangyuan Computer Company lies in its own unique and advanced parallel mechanism realization scheme - the node method.

Through the symmetric multi-processor technology, four high-end RISC processor Holder-S, as well as the corresponding coprocessor, main memory and other components, form an independent computing unit; then use this as the basic unit, use the topology Structural network connections.

In this way, Taichi-II surpassed the Cray-2/8 vector processor with multiple nodes.

The entire supercomputer is a comprehensive and optimized system. For example, another obvious shortcoming is the pathway connecting various components.

With traditional cables, a distance of a few meters will cause a delay of tens of nanoseconds, so manufacturers have carefully designed the wiring.On this basis, Tai Chi-II also introduced the fiber optic communication technology which is still in its infancy.

Although there are differences in the specific implementation of products by manufacturers, all supercomputers consume a lot of energy. Take Taichi-II as an example, the power exceeds 200 kilowatts, and it needs to be equipped with a special power supply system and cooling system.

The competition for the throne of the world's most powerful computer means the competition of multiple abilities such as creativity, organization, and execution. The technical competition inside is hard to describe.

The launch of Taichi-II is just a new beginning.

Tang Huan's focus then turned to the development and optimization of specific usage links such as the operating system, compiler, and application software used by this platform.

After all, in his own hands alone, there are a lot of projects such as computer animation, financial investment models, molecular evaluation of cancer and HIV drugs, etc., waiting for Tai Chi-II to assist in the analysis.

However, the business world never stops, and Tang Huan, who is obsessed with technology, is soon pulled back to the real world of endless battles.

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After entering 1985, IBM's top management started a new round of handover.Its CEO has changed, John Opel—that is, the one who said he knew Gates’ mother and trusted Gates, and thus promoted the completion of the IBM-PC operating system to Microsoft, stepped down from his position, and his successor was Another president, John Akers.

Although he was promoted, John Akers couldn't care less about being happy, because the current business situation of IBM is not optimistic.

Being surpassed by the newcomer Fangyuan Computer Company and usurping the top spot in terms of market capitalization, even though IBM could not help but feel sour, it still maintained its gentlemanly demeanor and sent congratulations.

After all, Big Blue is an established company with more than 70 years of history, and its history is equivalent to ten times that of Fangyuan Computer Company. I have never seen anything in the world. I have already tasted enough of the throne with the number one market value. It is a skill that can stand the test of time. !

Back then, IBM was more prosperous than the current Fangyuan Computer Company.The incomparable success of the mainframe System/360 made Big Blue's market value peak at $1967 billion in 1923, when the national GDP of the United States was only $8300 billion.

Although IBM will not really care about these noisy digital comparison games, it must face up to the problems it is encountering as reflected in many current data, including the company's stock price.

After entering the 1980s, affected by the disappearance of the shadow of the US Department of Justice's antitrust investigation, especially the positive stimulation of entering the vigorous personal computer field and successfully launching the IBM-PC, IBM's market value began to rebound strongly from the range of more than 300 billion US dollars. And all the way to more than 500 billion U.S. dollars, regaining the number one throne from AT&T.

But Xiao He is successful, and Xiao He is also defeated. IBM’s troubles come from the personal computer business. It not only needs the two armies to confront each other, but also has to deal with the backstab from the IBM-PC compatible machine——IBM-PC In the standard camp, at least half of the market share was taken away by IBM-PC compatible machines, and the profits they earned had nothing to do with IBM, the pioneer.

Among the IBM-PC compatible machine manufacturers, the most successful example is Compaq Computer. It first aimed at the portable personal computer market ignored by IBM in 1982, and launched CompaqPortable; after great success, it officially entered the desktop market in 1984. , launched CompaqDeskPro, and began to compete face-to-face with IBM-PC/XT and IBM-PC/AT for business, and has sold hundreds of millions of dollars in products.

How difficult is it to make an IBM-PC compatible today?
First of all, after IBM released the IBM-PC specification for free, the only technical barrier left in its hands - BIOS - has been completely broken. Several companies, including Phoenix Technologies and Award Software, have copied [-]% compatible BIOS. Become a supplier.

Secondly, after Gordon Campbell left Seeq, he held high the banner of the concept of "factory-free production", obtained investment from investors such as Japan, and established his own company in Silicon Valley, specializing in the development of IBM-PC motherboards Compatible chips on the board, and through optimization, the integration level is higher, which directly reduces the cost.

In the end, the second suppliers of Intel CPUs also launched their own compatible products one after another, making IBM's plan to monopolize the microprocessor ruined.At the same time, MS-DOS, Microsoft's operating system, can copy it for you regardless of the genuine or compatible machines.

In this way, even an unnamed garage like Apple’s original startup stage can easily assemble ready-made CPUs, motherboard chips, BIOS and other components into an IBM-PC compatible machine, and then bring it to the market. Sell ​​at a lower price, and the profits are often higher than IBM.

This kind of uncontrolled and disorderly competition within the IBM-PC standard camp directly makes Big Blue's own genuine IBM-PC have no advantage in terms of cost performance.

Feeling more and more serious threats, IBM gritted its teeth in hatred, but judging from the current situation, it can only stare blankly, and can't come up with effective countermeasures at all, unless it starts from scratch and comes up with a new set of IBM- The PC standard completely kicks out the current IBM-PC/XT and IBM-PC/AT compatible machines.

In addition, the setback of the very capital-intensive personal computer business has seriously affected IBM's cash flow, making the financial statements quite ugly, which is the real reason for management's concern.

After John Akers took over the position of CEO, he also saw that IBM had a vague tendency to go downhill. Last year, the company's total revenue increased by only 1%, and its profits did not rise but fell.

The combination of these circumstances made John Akers and the board of directors feel a little panicked, and they had to hold a meeting to discuss, at least to come up with a way to make the company's cash flow report data not so bad.

Before entering this topic, the meeting first announced two personnel transfers, EntrySystemsDivision--Enter System Department or ESD, which is the original IBM-PC department, and its current president, Don Estridge, transferred to IBM Global Manufacturing The vacated position of vice president of business was taken over by Bill Lovo, who originally started the "chess project".

Don Estridge, who seems to have been promoted, has a serious face and no joy at all.He knew full well that he had lost the trust of the board because of the bad situation in the PC business.The job transfer this time is actually a reduction of power.

It has to be said that IBM, which has not canceled the lifetime employment system at this time, is still very humane. Gu Nian Don Estridge led and created the IBM-PC. Euphemistic way of exile.

In the speech session after accepting the appointment, Don Estridge carefully summarized some of his obvious mistakes in his tenure, such as the failure of the IBM-PC/jr model, and the Intel 80286, which took up a lot of cash and hoarded Intel, and so on.

In fact, although personal computers are said to be designed for individuals and families, their real success lies in commercial use.With this cost-effective small box, the threshold for companies to obtain IT solutions has suddenly become lower.

Of course, the slogan of bringing personal computers to every household is still very loud in the industry, and they are trying to achieve this goal with cheap personal computers.

After the successful launch of the IBM-PC/XT, Don Estridge was impressed by the idea of ​​a home-targeted personal computer from new Chief Designer Bill Sidneys and launched the IBM-PC/jr.

As a result, this so-called cheap model priced at US$1500 only sold more than 10000 units, and without any suspense, it was a disastrous failure.

In short, IBM is a big elephant that has no talent for making cheap products. Its best business direction is high-end fields with high technology content.

Regarding this mistake, Don Estridge really has no excuse.

Since the launch of IBM-PC/AT equipped with Intel80286 microprocessor was later than the competitor’s three-generation Fangyuan personal computer, Don Estridge decided to buy all Intel80286, which was still the exclusive source of supply at that time, from Intel, and drew salary from the bottom of the pot. Sniping the third-generation Fangyuan personal computer that gained the first-mover advantage.

At the beginning, this move worked well. Fangyuan Computer Company had to compete with the MC68000 series, the high-end product of the third generation Fangyuan PC, at a loss and at a price reduction. IBM-PC/AT, which entered the market later, was developing well.

But unexpectedly, IBM-PC/AT, like the third-generation Fangyuan personal computer, had quality problems. The hard disk alone threw away a tugboat. As a result, the painstaking plan fell through. Businesses launched compatible products one after another, and the three generations of Fangyuan personal computers quickly overcame the difficulties, and even IBM-PC compatible machines also got a chance to catch up.

This mistake made Don Estridge feel that God had played an expensive joke on him, feeling helpless and powerless.

Don Estridge's sincere attitude has been praised by the board of directors, which also means that this personnel transfer has been completed very smoothly.

After Bill Lovo, who had high hopes, gave a short and cautious speech, John Akers said, "The company's cash flow needs to be improved urgently. If you have any suggestions, please share."

Soon someone answered: "Our investment department holds 20.00% of Intel's shares. This company, which is mainly engaged in the memory business, has recently been affected by the dumping of products from Japanese semiconductor companies. It is difficult to predict the future. It is better to Cash out, at least 4 million US dollars can be recovered."

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(End of this chapter)