Development of productivity started in 1981

Chapter 191 Workstations and personal computers enter universities and research institutions
After arriving at the computer showroom of Xingyao Group, Wang Jiankun introduced the people following him to the general manager Xin Zhixuan.

"Mr. Xin, this is Professor Zhang, the head of our department. The others are experts from several nearby research institutes. They all want to see the latest workstations from Xingyao Group. Would you mind opening it and demonstrating it to us?"

"It's convenient, very convenient. Hello, experts. I'm the general manager of Xingyao Electronics, a subsidiary of Xingyao Group, stationed in BJ. I heard from Jiankun that you want to see the workstation, right?"

At first, people didn't pay much attention to this two-story computer showroom because it looked very ordinary from a distance, similar to the surrounding houses, except for a striking sign "Xingyao Computer" hung in front of the gate. When they got closer, they thought this place was quite good. The side facing the street was made of large glass with promotional posters for Xingyao computers and workstations posted on it.

After walking in, the experts couldn't help but stop, because the decoration was so sci-fi, the floor was mirror-smooth marble, the counter was a large piece of transparent glass, and various electronic components were placed on anti-static transparent trays. Spotlights made the metal pins of these electronic components shine, and there were also several half-high milky white cabinets with large-size monitors on them.

"That's right, Manager Xin, I heard from Wang Jiankun that the performance of your workstation is excellent, and the computing speed can reach 1 million times per second. I wonder if you can demonstrate it to us and introduce it in detail." Professor Zhang, as the head of Wang Jiankun's department, came out and took over the conversation.

"No problem. I'll give you a brief explanation first. Here are the brochures. Please take one each. Read and listen as I talk. I'll ask a technician to demonstrate it to you later." Xin Zhixuan took a brochure from the shelf nearby, distributed it to everyone who came in, and then began to explain.

"The latest generation of workstations of Xingyao Group is called U8, which uses 8 5-micron process CPUs. Each CPU has a computing speed of 150 million times per second, which is the same CPU as the latest personal computer, but it can be overclocked for a short time when performing high-speed calculations. The combination of these 8 CPUs can perform parallel calculations on big data, with a peak speed of 1 million times per second. In addition to the fast computing speed, different capacities of memory and hard disk can be selected. According to different needs, the memory can be expanded to 512M, and the hard disk can be selected with a capacity ranging from 1G to 5G. The different capacities of these two parts will also have different prices."

Everyone was reading the brochure while listening to Xin Zhixuan's explanation. When they heard that the memory and hard disk capacity could be expanded to such a large size, several experts who were knowledgeable in this area couldn't help but look up at Manager Xin, because at that time the computer storage unit was very expensive, and the larger the capacity, the larger the volume. For example, the 2.7G hard disk manufactured by NEC this year is 14 inches in size, a large round cake the size of a washbasin, and the capacity of the memory particles is very small. This year, Samsung has just released 64KB DRAM memory particles, which are even more expensive. A 64KB memory particle is said to cost 10 US dollars, which means a 1M memory stick will cost about 180 US dollars. Manager Xin just said that it can be expanded to 512M of memory. I wonder if it is as expensive as Samsung's. If so, this workstation can't afford it. 512M of memory alone costs more than 10 US dollars.

"Manager Xin, please tell us the price. We know the performance, but we don't know the price."

"Okay, our workstation has a basic configuration. The version with 10MB of memory and a 500MB hard drive costs 10 RMB. In addition, every additional 1MB of memory will cost 200 RMB, and every additional 100MB of hard drive will cost 1 RMB."

When everyone heard the offer, they showed a hint of joy on their faces. This price was much lower than they had originally estimated. They heard that a company had bought IBM's XT series minicomputers, which had much worse performance than the C8 workstation. Its peak speed was reportedly only over 500 million times, and it was equipped with 1M memory and a 10M hard drive, but the price was 20 US dollars.

Now when people hear that a basic workstation like this from Xingyao Group only costs 10 RMB, the voices of buying it keep echoing in their ears. Moreover, the prices of expanding memory and hard disk are also within acceptable range. If the funds are sufficient, a 512M memory and a 5G hard disk will only cost 56 RMB, which is a little cheaper than IBM's XT series, because the current exchange rate of RMB against the US dollar is close to 3.

However, they had not seen the actual demonstration yet, so everyone suppressed their emotions and urged Manager Xin to give them a demonstration.

The two new human technicians were already prepared. They turned on two demonstration workstations in front of everyone. Numerous galaxies flashed across the boot screen, and finally a silver-white lightning logo lit up on the screen for 3 seconds. Then blue sky, white clouds and green grass appeared. Because it was a demonstration machine, the system had already been installed, and several programs were also installed, such as 3D CAD drawing software, mathematical modeling software, image processing software, etc.

The experts were divided into two teams and stood behind the two technicians to watch their operations. First, the system was introduced and the configuration information of the workstation was called up. The experts could see it clearly, including the number of CPUs, performance, memory, hard disk capacity and other information.

One of the experts still wanted to open the cabinet to check, so the technician looked at Manager Xin.

"Since the teachers and experts brought by Consultant Wang want to see it, let's open it and explain it to them." After getting a signal from Wang Jiankun, Manager Xin quickly asked the technician to open the back cover of one of the unpowered workstations for the experts to see.

After getting Manager Xin's approval, the technician used a simple tool to remove the fixing device of the cover. At this time, the cover of the latest workstation was slowly opened, revealing the neat and orderly internal structure. A technician wearing anti-static white gloves carefully reached in and gently took out the motherboard inside.

Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, the technician began to explain to the experts. He pointed to a small and delicate chip on the motherboard and said, "Experts, this is the latest CPU of Xingyao Group. It is the brain of the entire workstation and undertakes heavy computing tasks. There are 8 of them on this board, all of which are exactly the same. They can work together to process large data and complex calculations." Then, he pointed to the neatly arranged memory sticks next to it, "These are the memories, which provide guarantees for temporary storage and fast reading of data." Then, the technician pointed to a component with a metal shell, "This is a hard disk, which is used to store large amounts of data for a long time."

Looking at the motherboard, its circuit layout is like a sophisticated urban transportation network, intricate yet orderly. The electronic components on it are closely arranged, shining with a mysterious luster, as if countless high-tech elves are sleeping. Each line is slender and precise, connecting various key components, demonstrating superb manufacturing technology and advanced design concepts.

Under the light, the motherboard exudes a unique high-tech atmosphere, which makes people full of expectations and admiration for its powerful performance. It seems that this is not just a motherboard, but a technological artwork that embodies countless wisdom and efforts, and it is about to shine brightly in the future technology field.

Several experts occupying the back row couldn't help but stand on tiptoe to look at the motherboard displayed in front. Although they had used several kinds of computers and had even opened and looked at several produced by domestic companies, by comparing the two, they found that the internal workmanship of the workstation produced by Xingyao Group was quite precise. The solder points on the motherboard were neat and orderly, reflecting white light like small beads under the light. Presumably, the formula of these solders was different from that in China, otherwise they would not be so shiny.

Seeing that the people behind him couldn't see clearly, the technician walked back a few steps and changed the direction of the motherboard several times to show everyone. After they all saw it clearly, he took it back and installed it. Because it used a modular design, he just plugged in a few anti-foolulation connectors, tightened a few screws and installed the motherboard.

Seeing that everyone was so interested in the hardware, Manager Xin asked another technician to bring a CPU, several memory sticks and a 1M hard drive to show everyone.

The experts took the most important parts of the three computers, which were wrapped in anti-static transparent plastic shells, and examined them carefully. They saw that the CPU was 2 square centimeters in size, with densely packed pins shining with golden light, which should be gold or gold-plated pins.

The memory stick is about 15 centimeters long, only 3 centimeters wide, and only half the thickness of an ordinary paper card. Its surface is covered with a thin anti-oxidation layer, through which the circuit board and tiny electronic components underneath can be vaguely seen.

The circuits are intricate, spreading out like a maze on the gray PCB board, and each thin line carries the flow of data. If you look closely, you can find that these lines are not of a single color, but are interwoven with different shades of gray and black, as if they are traces left by time. The golden contact points reflect slightly under the light, which is the bridge for the memory stick to communicate with the motherboard and the interface for data transmission.

The largest part, the hard drive, is a silent guardian in the digital age. It is not ostentatious in appearance, but contains a vast universe of information. Its shell is carefully made of engineering plastic, with a cold metallic color, square and smooth lines, exuding a simple yet solid modern sense. The surface is frosted to avoid excessive gloss reflection, making it look restrained and steady.

The brand logo in the center of the front is finely engraved or embossed, like a badge in this data world, silently proving the identity. Surrounding it are several rows of tiny indicator lights, which flash blue or light green when working, like stars in the night sky guiding the way. Touching these small lights, you can feel the pulsation of the microprocessor inside the hard drive, which is the rhythm of data flow. On the side are interfaces and buttons, which are simple and unadorned, but shoulder the heavy responsibility of restarting or connecting. At the interface, the golden contacts are faintly visible, and they are closely linked to the connection lines of the outside world, like a bridge between the real and virtual worlds. When the hard drive is working, the slight vibration is accompanied by a low humming sound, as if telling the secret of the huge data behind it.

Looking at these parts with such exquisite workmanship, the experts' desire for this workstation reached a critical point. After returning the parts in their hands, they urged the two technicians to quickly demonstrate to them how to use the workstation.

One of the technicians tapped the icon of the mathematical modeling software, and the interface instantly changed to another window. In the middle was a box with a background, which was used to output technical results or display function graphs. Below was the place to input commands.

The technician first demonstrated the application of several advanced mathematical formulas. Then, at the request of several experts, he converted the problems they provided into mathematical language and input them in. The moment he hit the Enter key, the technical results came out, and it was also able to produce visual graphics. The experts couldn't help but exclaimed in amazement as they watched the computer calculate the results so quickly.

"This is too fast! The researchers in my office spent half a day calculating this. The computer is truly extraordinary."

"Yes, just by typing in some characters and text, the results can be calculated so quickly. The efficiency is so high. With the help of this computer, the progress of my research project will be shortened by more than half. And it doesn't seem very difficult to use. The text is in Chinese and the meaning is easy to understand." Another expert also said.

Next, the technician used the prepared data to perform data analysis and data visualization, which shocked all the experts. This computer, combined with the software, is very suitable for use in the engineering field.

Another technician opened the CAD drawing software and skillfully typed in commands on the keyboard. Soon, a general drawing of a bicycle came out. With the operation of the mouse, he could also display the effects from different directions. Then he continued to type in commands, and the parts drawings of the bicycle were displayed one by one. Several experts watching behind him almost dropped their jaws. The drawing speed was too fast and it was too convenient to use.

Compared with the current manual drawing, this software is not only convenient and fast, but also extremely accurate and easy to modify. It is also very easy to save. After looking at the capacity, this set of bicycle parts drawings and vehicle drawings together only takes up more than 200KB.

After demonstrating the workstation and its supporting software, the experts came to the room where 60 personal computers were placed. Manager Xin asked the technicians to open one for each expert. He then demonstrated how to operate it, how to open the installed software, etc., and then let them explore and use it by themselves to let them feel the charm of Xingyao computers.

Because it uses a Chinese graphical operating system and each software has a demonstration animation, the experts quickly mastered how to use it. This person also had those software on his computer, but because the performance of the computer was much worse than that of a workstation, some functions of the software were disabled. Some functions were not as smooth as those on a workstation. For example, when calculating complex mathematical problems, the results could not be obtained instantly. It usually took several seconds to wait, and some even froze and needed to be restarted.

Although the performance is much worse than that of a workstation, after comparing it with the price of a personal computer of 1 yuan, the experts think that it is worth buying some of these computers for ordinary researchers to use. They can use these personal computers for some simple calculations and some small drawings without taking up the precious machine time of the workstation.

"Manager Xin, we will file a report to apply for funds to purchase it after we return. I don't know if you have enough inventory. With so many research institutes buying together, the quantity will be quite large."

"Don't worry, we have enough inventory. Our factory is located in Guangzhou, and it only takes 3 to 5 days to deliver to BJ, so you don't have to worry about inventory."

"That's good. By the way, can we buy the parts you showed me?"

"You can buy them all, but the price will be adjusted according to the quantity. The more you buy, the cheaper it will be. I'll show you a price list later. It has retail and wholesale prices.

In addition, to thank you for your trust in Xingyao workstations and Xingyao computers, you can each take a personal computer home today. Please register your information later, and you can pick up a personal computer from the warehouse outside. We can send someone to help deliver and install it. "Manager Xin finally decided to give some discounts to the first batch of customer representatives in order to finalize the order as soon as possible.

"Manager Xin, you are so generous. This gift is more than 10 yuan. Your Xingyao Group is really rich."

"Manager Xin, do you have the authority to give so much? Don't let us take it away and then ask us to give it back. That would be embarrassing."

"Don't worry, everyone. I still have this permission. Please help promote it after you take it back. If you have any problems during use, please let us know in time. Our technicians will rush to deal with it within 1 day after receiving the call."

"Okay, we will definitely help with the publicity. With such a big benefit, it's okay to spend some effort. Manager Xin, can we take the computer from that person now? We are busy with work and have been out for a long time. We need to go back quickly."

"I'll go get it now. Please come to the reception room and write down your work and personal information. We'll make a gift voucher for you to report to the company and to make regular return visits. After you've registered, you can get your personal computer."

A group of experts including Professor Zhang lined up in the reception room to register their information, and then received their personal computers packed in cartons at the front desk. The technicians opened each carton, asked everyone to count the parts inside and check the completeness, and then put them back in and sealed the box.

There are also 6 tricycles waiting at the door. Manager Xin just called the transportation service agency and asked them to send steady people to help transport the goods.

After the experts put the computer on the tricycle, they also got on it. Wang Jiankun followed Professor Zhang and asked the driver to take them and a personal computer to the Department of Mathematics at Tsinghua University.

With the delivery of these dozen computers and the sponsored computers received by several universities and research institutes that Xin Zhixuan had contacted a few days ago, the workstations and personal computers produced by Xingyao Electronics finally opened up the market. The orders for personal computers continued to rise from more than 10 units per day at the beginning, and finally stabilized at about 20 units per day. BJ's universities and research institutes, banks, post offices and other state-owned enterprises, and government agencies came to buy.

Since workstations have a narrow range of uses and high-configuration ones are relatively expensive, we only received orders for more than 20 units in the first half of the month. However, with continuous praise from the users, the speed of producing results surprised all colleagues. Upon inquiry, they learned that Xingyao Electronics' workstations had provided great help in scientific research, so they began to submit reports to apply for purchase, and then orders for workstations began to flow to Xingyao Electronics BJ showroom.

(End of this chapter)