Back to 1995

Chapter 418
The meeting room was silent, even though they were all Jobs' confidantes, they were at a loss at this moment.

You must know that these days, including Apple, are pursuing the strategy of not putting eggs in one basket. One more product line may result in more revenue.

In addition to selling computers, Apple also produces routers, printers, monitors, graphics cards, servers, etc., and launched a variety of products such as multimedia game consoles with Nippon Bandai, but now Jobs wants to cut off all of these product lines , the "four major businesses" he proposed.

It's okay if it succeeds, but if it fails, then Apple really has no chance of turning around.

Several people in the conference room looked at each other, and Mansfield, who was in charge of the hardware business, said bravely, "Is this too risky? We have some businesses that can still be profitable..."

When he met Jobs' eyes, Mansfield didn't dare to say any more. Even though Jobs has been cultivating himself in the past ten years, he is no longer irritable, frivolous, and difficult to get along with when he was young and frivolous, but temper may not be sure for a lifetime It can be completely changed, this is something that has been engraved in the bones since birth.

"Do you want users to look for Apple products in a pile of garbage?!" Jobs asked Mansfield and the people in the conference room.

"Apple needs to develop a brand new product that will change the computer era and regain everything that belongs to Apple!"

If nothing else, Qiao Gangzhu is definitely a master in painting cakes and chicken blood, "Josena, you need to prove to the entire Silicon Valley that I picked you not a mistake, and let the whole world see that you are the one." The genius in the history of electronic industrial design!"

There was no haggling and hawsing. When selecting these people in the conference room and entering his command, Jobs had already known their characters and abilities, and began to arrange them directly.

"Cook, you need to reorganize Apple's supply chain, cut off those unnecessary production lines, if necessary, you can close the manufacturing plant in America like Bruno Song's Alcatel mobile phone, and put suppliers in Asia !"

Jobs suddenly mentioned Song Yang at this time. Many people in America were criticizing Song Yang for putting the production base of Alcatel mobile phones in Asia, but Jobs praised Song Yang for his move. Those manufacturers scolded Song Yang sanctimoniously, but who didn't want to follow Song Yang's example and move their production bases and suppliers to Asia where the cost is much lower...

"Apple needs to establish an official website and an Apple online store. I need to let Apple's online store surpass Dell and become the standard for PC e-commerce websites. It can catch up with Dell in terms of products, stores, and make-to-order systems!"

Jobs said to Eddie Ku, who is in charge of the Internet business, that the boss of Joe is a vengeful master. The words of Michael Dell slandering him in the media can be kept in mind by the boss of Joe. The establishment of the Apple online store is against Dell. .

"Not only the Internet business, but Apple's offline sales channels also need to make changes. Apple needs to reduce chaotic sales channels, cancel distributors, keep only one national distributor in one region, and reduce inventory as much as possible. Direct sales channels, the establishment of an Apple flagship store..."

Jobs instilled his ideas in the crowd, and completely shaped Apple into a new company. In Joe's construction, the future Apple will become an asset-light operation. It does not produce assembly parts itself, but entrusts suppliers. suppliers to do it, but Apple must maintain absolute control over the supply chain.

If all these are completed, then Apple's inventory pressure will not exist, the risk will be much smaller, and the cash flow will increase.

However, these are just Gang Leader Qiao's ideas. It is not so easy to change Apple.

Just after the meeting, Jobs came to the design department and discussed with Jonathan the design of the new generation of Apple computers.

"I need a personal computer, and ordinary users can buy an Apple all-in-one computer!"

Jobs told Jonathan about his requirements for a new generation of computers, without the fancy gadgets in the past, and he was not going to fight with IBM anymore. Jobs wanted to make a personal computer.

This is also Jobs' gamble. To launch a new Apple series of computers, the personal computer series iMac starting with i, Jobs gambled that the future will be the era of personal computers, not those ridiculously expensive business computers.

"For the new generation of iMac computers, I require that the monitor and computer be included in a separate case, and those useless peripheral connection devices such as ADB and SCSI and serial ports are abandoned, and only the USB interface is kept. I want to make the iMac become countless The first computer ever used by man!"

Listening to these ideas that completely subvert the current mainstream computer design, even the talented designer Qiao Senna felt what it meant to be brain-opened.

While the two were discussing, Jobs' phone rang. After seeing the number, Jobs frowned, but he picked it up anyway, "Director Ella Woolard!"

The person who called was Ella Woolard, the only former member of Apple's board of directors who has not been bloodbathed. For the former DuPont president, Jobs was still very afraid of Woolard.

This time Jobs was able to return to Apple smoothly, and it was inseparable from the support of Ella Woolard. The smooth dismissal of the board of directors was also with the acquiescence of Ella Woolard. Otherwise, how could Jobs overthrow the entire Apple management so smoothly? layer.

"I heard that you are going to cut 90% of Apple's production line?!"

Through the phone, I could feel Ella Woolard's anxiety. Jobs' move was a big move, and he cut directly at the main artery, which made Ella Woolard a little anxious and angry.

Hearing Ella Woolard so quickly, I heard the wind. Jobs had a new understanding of Ella Woolard's influence at Apple, unlike those executives, for Ella Woolar De, Jobs was still explaining, "This is what Apple has to do, if it doesn't want Apple to go bankrupt!"

Hearing this, Ella Woolard couldn't help being silent for a while. The current Apple is like getting on Jobs's thief ship. It is impossible to get off. It has been tossed a lot. If it continues to toss at this time, maybe There is still a glimmer of life, if it stops, it will really be a dead end.

After a pause, Ella Woolard's voice came from the phone, "Jobs, someone wants to meet with you, and I think you should. This is very important to Apple!"

What Ella Woolard said was ambiguous, but Jobs heard the overtones, and felt a little bad in his heart, "Who is it?!"

Before hearing the name given by Ella Woolard, Jobs thought of many names, such as General Electric, IBM, Microsoft and even Dell, the guy who talked about it, but he never expected that it would be someone else who came to him. a company……

What is the current situation of Apple, Jobs is very clear. At this time, people who come to Apple's gate can basically be said to be the generation of hungry wolves. They must want to take a bite of Apple, but it is Ella Woola. Dela came over, obviously Ella Woolard had already talked with the other party, maybe she had already agreed to the other party's conditions.

Jobs suppressed a little annoyance in his heart. This feeling that apples are fish and others are knives makes Jobs very uncomfortable.

But I also know that this is not the time to turn against Ella Woolard. Apple can't stand such a toss. It is impossible for him to dissolve Apple's board of directors again, and the whole Apple will probably fall apart.

"Apple ushered in the largest business adjustment in history. Jobs, who returned to Apple, announced his return to the main business of computers. At present, many businesses of Apple, including printers and game consoles, are closed..."

"Jobs wants to form a luxurious board of directors for Apple, inviting board members, including Oracle President Larry Ellison, former IBM CFO Jerry York, Intuit Group President Bill, Genentech director Levinson and others to join Apple's board of directors !"

The news also broke the news that Jobs made a big move to cut off [-]% of the product line, which exceeded the expectations of the outside world. Let alone whether it will be successful or not, this crazy style of breaking the boat makes people believe that Jobs can indeed do it.

And the Apple board of directors to be formed is also luxurious. They all invite the famous company president and directors from America, and the cards are really big enough.

But in the hustle and bustle of the outside world, when the media was chasing Apple's hot spots, Jobs came to a castle mansion in Woodside.

When he came here, Jobs hesitated for a moment, but the door of the mansion was opened, and Markkula, who had been entangled with Jobs for more than ten years and could no longer distinguish between grievances and grievances, walked out of it.

Markkula seemed to know that Jobs was coming, the two did not speak, and walked towards a redwood forest in tacit agreement just like ten years ago.

When he was expelled from Apple, Jobs was angry with Markkula, and instead of standing on his side, he stood on Sculley's side, regarding Sculley as a traitor.

But Jobs could not deny the influence of Markkula on him. He was Apple's first venture capitalist. Without the $25 he gave, Apple might not be where it is today. From the day Apple appeared, Ma Kura has been standing behind Joe's gang leader until Joe's gang leader betrayed his relatives and had to leave Apple.

But Jobs' return to Apple is also inseparable from Markkula's approval. When Apple chose to acquire a computer system before, it could not only choose the Nest family owned by Jobs, but also the former chief operating officer Lewis who left Apple. The BeOS system developed by Gass.

The latter is much more famous than the former. BeOS is more famous in the world than the Nest system. It claims to start up within ten seconds, supports dual-core processors, and can run multiple videos and functions at the same time. screen function!

This thing is now called a black technology. Some functions of the BeOS system cannot be compared with the Microsoft system. However, Apple’s board of directors finally chose Jobs’ Nest between Nest and BE. Markkula, who Jobs hadn't spoken to for more than ten years, voted for the acquisition of Nest...

Not being picked by Apple, the Be system basically lost the opportunity of computer operating system to show its glory, but most of the engineers of the Be system in the future will go to another company, and the founder of that company later established android.

(End of this chapter)