Chapter 100 of 100
Chapter 100
16 min read4,067 words
Chris Curry's first impression of Li Xuan was of a large, round face, glasses perched on his forehead, a slightly protruding belly, and a very casual sitting posture. His voice was somewhat rough, completely different from the image of a British gentleman.
"Mr. Chris Curry, hello, I am Heng Li from Hong Kong Oriental Electronics!" Li Xuan politely smiled and nodded at the other person.
"Hello, are you here to discuss the acquisition of Acorn? Sorry, I have no intention of selling the company!" Curry didn't wait for Li Xuan to speak and directly rejected him.
"Is that so? We in the East have an ancient saying: even if a deal is not made, the friendship remains!" Li Xuan was not bothered by the rejection and continued to smile, "Since we have the chance to meet Mr. Curry today for a coffee, why don't we casually discuss our views on the personal computer industry?"
Curry looked at Li Xuan with interest, "May I ask, Mr. Li from the East, what are your views?"
"You can call me Vincent! In my opinion, computers are becoming the trend of the times, and the trend of popularization is becoming increasingly evident. A new and huge industry is rapidly forming, and those who can accurately grasp the opportunities will undoubtedly become the trendsetters of this era! The BBC is broadcasting a documentary called 'The Mighty Micro,' narrating to the entire British television audience how a personal computer revolution is rising!"
Li Xuan took a sip of the fragrant coffee and continued, "I am very optimistic about your new Atom personal computer. It meets several of my requirements for a consumer computer: a compact hardware design and excellent cost-performance! I heard that this Atom computer was developed at your insistence. Your grasp of the consumer electronics field is very accurate, and this personal computer has the potential to be a bestseller!"
Li Xuan praised him but then shook his head slightly, "However, in my view, the flaws of the Atom computer are also very obvious, such as its software system. The Atom doesn't even have an operating system; it only has a BASIC interpreter built into the boot ROM, which makes the computer very inconvenient to use!
Perhaps you considered cost savings, but I know that a ZX-80 microcomputer was recently launched in the British market. This computer uses a Z80 processor and is said to cost only 100 pounds, much cheaper than the Atom!
In my view, good software is even more important than price for a computer! A computer bought for home use is meant to be used, not just for display! If it's not practical, even if the price is low, it's just a waste of money!
Apart from computer enthusiasts, most users buy microcomputers for tasks like processing daily text, accounts, and files, as well as playing games! The former requires excellent word processing and spreadsheet software, while the latter needs some interesting, time-passing games!"
Li Xuan noticed that the other person's expression was becoming more serious and felt a bit smug, "According to the information I have gathered, Acorn seems to have no plans to develop related software! However, our Oriental Electronics has already taken the lead in this area. Our Hong Kong headquarters R&D center is developing an operating system compatible with CP/M, and our word processing and spreadsheet software are also under development!
As for game software, have you played Hong Kong Blocks? This flagship game of our company was initially written by me on an Apple II computer!"
"Vincent, your views have given me a lot of inspiration!" Curry began to call Li Xuan by his English name rather than his surname, and his attitude became much warmer.
"Can I call you Chris?" Li Xuan continued after seeing the other person nod, "As far as I know, most of the engineers at Acorn, including your friend Hermann Hauser, do not support your Atom development project! We in the East have another ancient saying: 'Those who do not share the same path cannot work together!' This means that if two people have different views, they cannot work together for a long time unless one of them compromises!
You want to develop in the consumer computer field, while others in the company want to develop in the professional computer system field. Acorn's strength seems insufficient to pursue both areas simultaneously. Therefore, in my view, if you and your friend are unwilling to compromise, seeking external support from a more powerful financial backer is undoubtedly a good solution!"
"If Oriental Electronics acquires Acorn, how would you plan its future development?" Curry's attitude finally softened, and he did not reject outright.
"If Oriental Electronics completes the acquisition, Acorn will become a sub-brand for us in Europe! In terms of R&D, Oriental Electronics will split Acorn into two parts. One part will support you in establishing a personal computer R&D center in Cambridge, and the personal computer R&D team from our Hong Kong headquarters will also be under your management.
The R&D group for computer software at the headquarters R&D center will fully support your R&D work! 8-bit computers are already very outdated, and Motorola's MC68000 has already entered the 32-bit era.
In fact, our semiconductor lab in Hong Kong is also developing a new 32-bit instruction set architecture and has made significant progress! Therefore, the next generation of personal computers from our company will skip 16-bit and use this 32-bit RISC architecture as the core processor.
On the other hand, the company will establish an electronic technology R&D center in Cambridge based on the remaining researchers, continuing Acorn's ongoing R&D in areas like local area networks and professional computer systems. They will also participate in the development of the 32-bit instruction set along with the headquarters lab!
Of course, all computer production will be carried out in Hong Kong in the Far East, as the manufacturing costs there are much lower compared to the UK."
Li Xuan frankly outlined the arrangements Oriental Electronics would make if the acquisition of Acorn were successful.
Curry nodded lightly, seemingly satisfied with the arrangement. However, he did not reveal his final stance, only saying that he needed more time to think. Li Xuan was secretly delighted by this response, as the other person's attitude had softened compared to the beginning.
Li Xuan did not press the issue and continued to pester the other person but ended their first meeting pleasantly. Next, he still needed to meet the other two partners of Acorn, Hermann Hauser and Andy Hopper.
Andy Hopper is the inventor of Acorn's local area network technology, which originated from the Cambridge Ring network system he invented during his Ph.D. at Cambridge University. At the time, Acorn and he jointly established a new company called Orbis to develop this network system technology.
Later, Acorn acquired Orbis and exchanged Hopper's shares in Orbis for shares in Acorn. Thus, Hopper became the third shareholder of Acorn.
Acorn's address is near Market Hill in the center of Cambridge town. The entire company's office space is the upper floor of a two-story shop along the street.
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