America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 432 The Birth of the USB Flash Drive

The process of launching new products by iTech is still ongoing. Following the second generation of iPod, a number of peripheral products such as keyboards and mice have been launched.

In terms of design, these two peripherals continue the consistent aesthetic style of Aikron, with smooth body lines and color schemes that present a high visual quality under the light, which certainly have the external conditions to attract consumers' attention.

However, as the product's core parameters and technical details were gradually revealed, the initial enthusiasm at the event was quickly dampened, as if doused with cold water.

Aside from their good looks, these products are not much different from other keyboards and mice on the market in terms of technology. This gave the media the impression that AIO had run out of ideas, resulting in a lukewarm response.

It's not that AGI Tech's peripherals aren't selling well; on the contrary, many people are optimistic about them because they look really cool.

However, since it wasn't a product like the iPod that changed the world, it was hard not to feel disappointed. The iPod really elevated the image of AITO too much.

Just when everyone assumed the press conference would likely end quietly, Cook walked onto the stage holding a small, cube-shaped object.

Smaller than a typical matchbox, it is entirely silver-white with a smooth surface and a strong metallic feel. The overall design exudes a mysterious sense of technology.

Just when everyone thought the press conference was going to end uneventfully, Cook pulled out a cube smaller than a matchbox, once again drawing everyone's attention.

What is this?

Many people were full of questions.

Everyone present was involved in consumer electronics and technology, but no one could understand what the thing in Cook's hand was for.

They racked their brains, but couldn't find any match with the technological products they knew.

Amidst the expectant and puzzled gazes of the crowd, Cook slowly began to speak, "This is a USB flash drive, a brand new portable storage device with a maximum storage capacity of 64MB. It uses a USB interface design, supports plug and play, and requires no driver installation."

The words were concise and clear, yet like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, they created quite a stir on the scene.

To more intuitively demonstrate the performance of the USB flash drive, Cook then gave a live demonstration.

He gently inserted the USB drive into the Apple computer's USB port that was already prepared beside him. Almost instantly, a folder window popped up on the computer screen. The whole process was smooth and uninterrupted, without any delays or driver installation prompts that are common when connecting devices.

Next, Cook operated the computer, selected a 5MB file, and dragged it to the corresponding folder on the USB drive.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the progress bar on the screen, which was rapidly advancing at a visible speed, completing the file transfer almost instantly. The entire process took no more than ten seconds.

"This is impossible!" someone exclaimed immediately, their voice filled with disbelief.

Everyone present was familiar with floppy disks, which were portable storage devices that they frequently used in their daily work.

Even with the most advanced high-speed floppy disks on the market, it takes at least one minute to transfer a 1MB file, and the corresponding driver must be installed on the computer beforehand for it to work properly.

Cook's earlier mention of the USB drive not requiring any driver installation already amazed many people, but the astonishing transfer speeds it now demonstrates have completely overturned their understanding of mobile storage devices.

"Our USB flash drive uses Samsung's latest multi-layer flash memory technology. After our R&D team at iTech independently overcame the challenges of the collaborative control technology between the USB interface and the flash memory chip, and successfully developed a high-performance dedicated control chip, we finally created this groundbreaking next-generation mobile storage tool through the deep integration and optimization of these three technologies."

Cook unplugged the USB drive and held it up in front of him. "According to our tests at iTech, its read and write speeds are more than 30 times faster than traditional floppy disks. It is also shockproof and anti-magnetic, so even if it is accidentally dropped, the data stored inside will not be damaged."

To increase the credibility of his words, he casually tossed the USB drive he was holding onto the table. The crisp sound of it hitting the table was particularly jarring, and many people instinctively shrank back.

When Cook calmly picked up the USB drive and reconnected it to the computer, within seconds, the icon for a mobile device clearly appeared on the large screen behind him.

Applause began, starting with just a few scattered bursts, then thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall, mixed with cheers.

"This is absolutely the highlight of this conference, even more exciting than the launch of the second-generation iPod. A technology that is enough to change the industry landscape has been born." Riley's face was flushed as he excitedly watched Cook on the stage. "No wonder iTech dared to put it as the grand finale."

"This little thing will indeed change the existing ecosystem of computer hardware." Carl doesn't deny it, because that's the truth.

Just like when Cook was demonstrating using an Apple computer, many people overlooked this small detail.

It's not because Ernst, the owner behind iTech, is a shareholder of Apple, but because currently, apart from Apple's latest iMac series which features a USB port, other mainstream computer brands do not have this type of port on the market.

What is a computer?

From a product perspective, the current personal computer is far more for work than for entertainment. Whether it's for corporate office work, scientific research and design, or professional document processing, these are the scenarios where people feel computers should be used.

Why is it widely believed in the industry that YueDong Games has made indelible contributions to the development of the computer industry?

The core reason lies in the fact that YueDong Games successfully developed several phenomenal online games, which greatly expanded the entertainment functions of personal computers and made more consumers realize the value of computers in the entertainment field, thereby driving a significant increase in personal computer sales.

Even so, it cannot change the market positioning of computers as primarily driven by their functional attributes. In key markets such as corporate procurement and professional applications, the primary factors determining the sales volume of computer products remain unchanged.

With the advent of the USB flash drive, regardless of whether hardware manufacturers are willing to accept this change, they must add USB interfaces to their computer products.

The resulting chain reaction is that hardware manufacturers need to redesign their product interface solutions to ensure technical compatibility with USB flash drives.

Operating system developers such as Microsoft need to optimize and upgrade their systems to ensure perfect support for USB flash drive functionality.

Computer manufacturers will need to adjust their production lines to equip their products with USB interfaces to meet market demand.

It is small in size, easy to carry and store, and has a storage capacity far exceeding that of a floppy disk. Even the lowest configuration 16MB version is equivalent to the capacity of 11 1.44MB floppy disks.

Moreover, its transmission speed has achieved a qualitative leap, greatly improving users' work efficiency.

It is also shockproof and antimagnetic, solving the problems of floppy disks being easily damaged and data being easily lost. It has almost solved all the shortcomings and pain points of traditional floppy disks.

All computer-related manufacturers will have to change because of this little thing; this is an inevitable result.

"Since you say that USB flash drives can replace floppy disks, but nowadays, apart from Apple's latest iMac, no computers have USB ports. Does this mean we should all switch to Apple computers?" A reporter couldn't wait to ask, feeling that he had stumbled upon a big news story, a conspiracy orchestrated by two companies under Ernst's name.

Cook smiled at the reporter who asked the question and said definitively, "Of course not."

"We can't let a single interface issue force consumers into a dilemma about whether to replace their computers. So, while developing the USB flash drive, AiTech's technical team also simultaneously developed a variety of interface converters."

"Whether the user's computer is equipped with a traditional FDD interface, an IDE interface, or the increasingly popular IEEE1394 interface, as long as a corresponding converter is used, a USB flash drive can be used directly."

However, Cook changed the subject and added with a hint of regret, "But using a converter is not without its drawbacks. Although the interface compatibility issue has been resolved, the data transfer speed will drop significantly, with the actual transfer speed only about 3 to 5 times faster than a traditional floppy disk."

"If users have high requirements for transmission speed and pursue a more convenient user experience, then replacing their computer with one equipped with a USB port would be a more ideal choice."

"What will the price of the USB flash drive be?" This was the question that everyone present was most concerned about.

Cook gently pressed his hand down, signaling everyone to calm down.

He then made a gesture to the staff behind the scenes, and the large screen instantly switched to display the three versions of the USB flash drive and their corresponding prices.

The 16MB version is priced at $39, the 32MB version at $59, and the 64MB version at $99.

No one thought the price was expensive; instead, it caused a stir, with many believing that the price was far below expectations and could even be described as inexpensive.

Currently, a 1.44MB floppy disk is available on the market. Cheap products sell for about $10 to $15 per box, with ten disks per box, averaging a little over $1 per disk.

High-performance floppy disks from major brands can cost over $25 per box, with a single disk costing over $2.5.

For example, the storage capacity of a 16MB USB flash drive is equivalent to the total storage capacity of 11 1.44MB floppy disks.

Based on the average market price, buying 11 ordinary floppy disks would cost around ten dollars, while buying 11 high-end floppy disks would cost over 28 dollars.

A 16MB USB flash drive priced at only $39 is already a very reasonable price.

Because these are products of two different eras, they are incomparable in many aspects, such as convenience and safety.

"Won't Aitech's sales be about to explode again next year?" This was the common thought in the minds of most of the guests present.

For 64MB USB flash drives, enterprises will definitely buy them in bulk. Selling tens of millions of USB flash drives a year is an easy task, which translates to billions of dollars in sales.

With the addition of the iPod, how much will iTech's sales revenue be next year?

Two hundred billion US dollars?

Or perhaps three hundred billion US dollars?

What kind of company is this? It's only been established for two years, yet its sales have reached 30 billion US dollars.

Everyone is amazed by iTech's growth, but what they don't know is that iTech has another product that it has developed for profit but has not yet announced.