America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 294 Supporting Steve Jobs

"Do their MP3 players use flash memory technology?"

Cook nodded like a chick pecking at rice, not understanding why Ernst's expression had suddenly become serious.

Before Cook could even process what was going on, Ernst said quietly, "So, tell me, could we develop a new floppy disk technology based on flash memory?"

Cook's eyes lit up instantly, and his gaze at Ernst was almost radiant.

Yes, 32MB of memory can't even hold a single album, but what if it's for storing files?

It's no wonder he's a big shot in the supply chain; his mastery of various technical theories is truly remarkable.

"With just one flash memory chip and a few electronic components, we can make this thing the size of a thumb, and with a capacity several times larger than a floppy disk."

Modern floppy disks are practically the ancestors of electronic devices, with only 1.44MB of storage space, making it difficult to save even a single file.

Flash memory can be used as the storage medium, instantly increasing the capacity by dozens of times, which is like upgrading from a bicycle to a rocket.

"Furthermore, floppy disks are too susceptible to moisture, data is easily corrupted, and they are still too bulky to carry around, which are all pain points in the market."

Cook was instantly reminded of a painful memory. Once, he brought a floppy disk to a meeting, but because it got a little sweaty on the way, all the documents inside were lost. He was so angry that he almost threw the floppy disk like a dart.

While floppy disks have made work more convenient, their biggest drawback is their difficulty in preserving data. If a durable and compact portable storage device could be manufactured, it would certainly be in high demand.

Just as he was getting excited, Cook suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. "The biggest problem now is the interface. Floppy disks have drivers, but flash memory doesn't. If our product is to work without drivers, it has to use the computer's built-in drivers, which means we can only use a USB interface."

"But USB is a new thing that Intel just introduced last year. The motherboards on the market that support it are too small, so we have to ask the motherboard manufacturers to customize it for us."

Ernst didn't think it was a problem: "Given the sales volume of the iPod, I believe no motherboard company would refuse our request and give up cooperating with us."

"USB interfaces are definitely the future trend; all computers will use this type of interface in the future. Apple's iMac already uses this interface, doesn't it?"

Cook pondered it and realized that this made perfect sense. The current interface market was too chaotic and disorganized, which had seriously hampered the development of external devices. Unifying the interface was imperative.

Moreover, with Intel, the CPU giant, leading the way, all manufacturers have to follow its lead, which is the advantage of a monopoly.

Another project was finalized, and the meeting ended. Ernst and Cook went to his office for a cup of coffee.

It was almost 11 o'clock when Ernst got up to leave.

Cook tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "How about we have lunch together? I know a steakhouse nearby that's pretty good."

Ernst said with a wry smile, "I'd love to, but someone doesn't want me to have my way."

Seeing Cook's puzzled look, he explained, "Besides iTech, I also have to go to Apple to attend their board meeting in Cupertino."

What happened to Apple?

At this point in time, with the holiday still ongoing, it certainly wasn't a regular board meeting; it had to be an emergency one.

"What else could it be? It's all about money. Steve Jobs wanted to take out another loan, but Apple's debt has increased, and some people on the board objected, so it escalated to the board level."

He curled his lip and said, "I think it's just a case of someone having too much time on their hands."

Now, a large majority of Apple's board members are Steve Jobs' close associates, all siding with him, so the outcome was already predetermined.

In Ernst's view, this was like taking off your pants to fart, a completely unnecessary step.

But despite the complaints, Steve Jobs invited him to endorse the event, so he definitely couldn't refuse.

He's doing alright. He's been very busy lately. Not only is the iPod from iTech incredibly popular, but Google is also about to make a big move, so he hasn't chosen to take a vacation.

I heard that Larry Ellison was dragged back from Japan by Steve Jobs. He was having a great time with the geishas when he had to come back to support his friend. He's probably cursing under his breath right now.

Leaving iTech, it's a five-minute drive to Apple's headquarters.

Ernst strolled to the conference room, opened the door, and saw the scene inside. He was the last one there.

As soon as I entered, I heard a cold snort, and Larry Ellison's sarcastic voice drifted over, "Some people, even though they're the closest, arrive the latest. They're really putting on airs."

Ernst wasn't going to back down either, rolling his eyes and retorting, "I don't have your free time, wasting my days with Japanese women. I really envy you, managing just one company and living like a retired old man."

Larry Ellison's face flushed red. "You're just envious. When you get to my age, it'll be a question whether your thing will still be working."

Everyone in the conference room was waiting for Ernst's rebuttal, but to their surprise, he nodded and said, "Whether I'm capable or not is none of your business, but you're right about one thing: you do look young."

Larry Ellison was about to feel smug and say that it was good that he knew, but Ernst's next words completely broke him down: "You're as young as a child, it's hard to say whether you'll even react. Do those Japanese women like men like you? They can make money by touching you a couple of times, how easy is that?"

The meeting room fell silent instantly, then erupted in thunderous laughter.

Larry Ellison was so angry that his face turned as purple as an eggplant, while Jobs shook his head helplessly. He knew he couldn't win the argument, but he still had to be sarcastic. Wasn't he just asking for trouble?

He coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back, and the board meeting officially began.

Without saying a word, he immediately showed Ernst and the others a pornographic video of Apple's new generation iMac computer.

After GG finished playing, Steve Jobs banged on the screen in front of him as if it were trash.

"We Are Back? What kind of garbage is this? We're back? Are we really back?"

"Go back to where? Back to last year, where Apple loses another billion dollars?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his spittle almost splattering onto the curtain. "A guy with absolutely no values ​​actually spent three million dollars. In my opinion, that's just a pile of shit."

Those familiar with Steve Jobs know that he valued his penis more than his hair.

At this board meeting, the remake of GG was just a minor incident; the main point was that he planned to spend $80 million to bring Apple back into the consumer spotlight.

But this amount of money is astronomical in Apple's eyes now, and many board members are getting restless.

"Whether Apple comes back or not is not up to GG to decide, but requires the approval of consumers. Our task is to gain the approval of consumers."

Even though Steve Jobs spoke eloquently and persuasively, the opposing board members simply didn't buy it.

"That's just your side of the story. We're responsible not only to Apple, but also to our shareholders. Everyone knows Apple's current financial situation. Spending $80 million on advertising, plus other expenses, it would easily cost over $100 million."

"Are you trying to drive Apple to its doom? Is Apple going to gamble everything on this new product? Is the fate of the entire company hanging on?"

Jobs didn't reply, and Ernst knew it was his turn to step in.

He spoke slowly, "Mr. Stormman, I recall you own about 1.8% of Apple's shares, right?"

Like Ernst, Sterman, who opposed the move, was also one of the shareholder directors.

"That's right," Stellman nodded, giving a friendly smile. He felt that Ernst, as the company's major shareholder, should stand with him.

Unexpectedly, Ernst changed the subject, "Then why don't you sell your shares? I'll buy them back at the current market price, how about that?"

His tone was calm, but it gave people a domineering feeling.

Larry Ellison watched with envy, thinking how good it was to be rich, how confident he could be.

Although he is wealthy, most of his assets are Oracle shares and real estate, which cannot compare to Ernst's financial resources.

Stormman was completely dumbfounded and stammered, "What...what do you mean?"

Ernst shrugged, looking indifferent. "It doesn't mean anything. If you don't have a good opinion of Apple, then liquidate your position and leave. Otherwise, just shut your mouth."

He looked around for a moment, his gaze lingering on the faces of the shareholders and directors. "The same goes for you all. Anyone who wants to sell shares can contact me anytime. The price is negotiable."

The conference room fell silent instantly. Sterman opened his mouth, but didn't dare to say anything more.

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