Chapter 103: Party Title

  "Sanders, let's go take a look at Intel together. Go check out their R&D department."

  As soon as Catherine came out of the Pentagon, she said so.

  "Alright."

  Sanders nodded.

  Although Catherine's proposal was a bit abrupt, Saunders was not flustered.

  In some companies, there are also various "face projects", especially in places where performance is not linked to salary, as well as some departments that eat from the big pot.

  But Sanders' management company has a system in place and can be said to have a clear conscience.

  Otherwise, in the original world, Sanders would not have been able to lead AMD to compete with Intel for so long.

  When she arrived at the R&D department, Catherine first saw that the technicians were fiddling with an electronic device about the size of A4 paper.

  "What's that?"

  Microcontroller.

  Sanders said: "It's still in development."

  Catherine walked over.

  But she soon felt disappointed with this so-called microcomputer.

  This can't be called a single-board computer, it's just an all-in-one computer. In Catherine's view, this thing is completely unnecessary.

  "How much does it cost?" Catherine asked.

  "The CPU of 4004 has already matured now, if it is mass-produced, it will probably cost around $150."

  Although it is a single-board computer, its cost is over $100.

  This thing is not a single-chip microcomputer, it's just a single-board computer!

  And... use this thing to make a remote control?

  Catherine shook her head.

  "The cost still needs to be lowered as much as possible. A little lower, even lower."

  Catherine said so.

  "Microcontrollers are not computers, we don't need any special functions at all, just use the simplest programming language and the cheapest CPU to achieve what we need, everything else, don't bother!"

  Sanders nodded.

  After all, microcontrollers have just emerged, and the concept is often vague. Since Catherine said so, let's try it out in this direction.

  "It is possible to combine CPU and ROM as well as RAM into a single device, just like that. This is exactly the opposite of our Microsoft II computer."

  Catherine said so, and Saunders also nodded.

  Microcontrollers have a great future, although ordinary people rarely know about them, they are deeply embedded in every household. Sometimes, the black square seen on the green circuit board that has been disassembled is a microcontroller, but not all of them.

  "What about Z80?" Catherine asked again.

  "We have already made a demonstration processor with the same function, but although it has achieved the expected function of Z80, its size is slightly larger than that single chip. It's impossible to use it. However, the completion of Z80 is only a matter of time. At most half a year, we can see the finished product. In addition, the template for Microsoft II computer has been set up, and we have also reached an agreement with many manufacturers. As long as Z80 is made, Microsoft II will be completed within a month."

  Catherine nodded.

  The Z80 is crucial, even more important than a microcontroller.

  Catherine originally thought that probably still need to invest another sum of money in order to accelerate the development of Z80, but it seems that is no longer necessary.

  "You mean, you just said there's something that can already reach the level of Z80?"

  Catherine asked again.

  Sanders nodded and had the thing, which was bigger than a brick, carried out.

  "Because it was a demonstration production model, we named it Z79."

  "What about the cost?" Catherine continued to ask.

  "In terms of cost, because the manufacturing process doesn't require the same level of precision as Z80, it's possible to modify the 4004 production line slightly to meet the requirements, which would be roughly half the cost of Z80. Of course, this is just an estimate since Z80 hasn't been produced yet."

  "Can you shrink Z79 down to a quarter of its current size?" Catherine fiddled with the thing.

  Sanders thought for a moment: "It will probably take about a month, maybe longer. But what's the use of something so huge?"

  I want to develop a game console.

  "Game console?"

  Sanders thought of Little Emperor.

  "Yes, its name is XBOX!"

  Catherine smiled.

  Although Catherine wanted to name her game console "FC", she thought about it and decided against it. Because FC in English is Family Computer.

  That is "home computer".

  In order not to be called a title party by others, Catherine can only name her device with another name.

  She then gave her new game machine a more sensational name.

  Catherine really wanted to know what Bill Gates' face looked like when he found out that his classmate had plagiarized so many things from him - even if it was just the name.

  Of course, Bill Gates at present is probably still in elementary school...

  Catherine had them assemble Z79 and then power it up.

  At this time, Catherine sat down beside the computer and was about to start programming.

  She is doing this in order to make a game.

  She made this game in programming, which is by no means ordinary. This is the legendary - "Super Mario".

  If there's a game that has had a profound influence, then absolutely no game can compare with Super Mario.

  In the mid-1980s, the entire video game industry came to a standstill, with many companies disappearing. Atari, Inc., the pioneer of the video game industry, suffered heavy losses and never fully recovered.

  If the game industry continues like this, it is very likely that in a more distant future, the game industry will disappear, and even many classic games may not appear in the future.

  At this time, Super Mario burst onto the scene, not only making Nintendo a dominant force in the gaming industry but also driving the development of the entire gaming industry, reviving an industry that was on the verge of disappearing and taking it to new heights.

  It's because of Mario, this uncle wearing a red hat with an M on it, that the whole world has become richer and more colorful.

  How could Catherine not be moved by such a game?

  Of course, due to time and energy constraints, Catherine naturally couldn't have had the energy to write out the entire game.

  She just wrote down the control program needed for the framework and basic operation of the game.

  Then she had to find Blizzard Entertainment and get them to develop it further.

  Catherine believes that Blizzard's version of Super Mario would never be worse than the original.

  To know, Blizzard's advertising slogan is "Blizzard makes it, must be a masterpiece"!

  ……

  A new week, asking for votes and support ^_^

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