Looking back, I often had this thought when Sam and I were studying at USC.
If only this damn C64 were a little lighter!
"Wait, how do we solve the battery problem?"
Dell suddenly realized a huge flaw in this situation.
It's not very realistic to expect nickel-cadmium batteries to be manufactured in the United States.
Cadmium is a heavy metal element that causes serious pollution. The Marathon Battery Factory in New York was almost shut down by the authorities because it illegally discharged wastewater from its nickel-cadmium battery production.
Manufacturing batteries for laptops inevitably requires finding specialized manufacturers to customize them, which raises the issue of stable production output.
These potential legal and financial risks could significantly increase the retail price of laptops, making it simply not worthwhile.
"Oh, about that, I happen to have some free time lately and have been taking a course on rechargeable battery technology."
Lin Lixin waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to worry about that.
"I'll handle that part of the problem. Basically, I called you here today to exchange information. The technical details will depend on future arrangements."
This matter is still far from settled, so there's no rush to get it all done right away. It's best to give Dell a boost first, and let him steadily work out the basic framework.
Micronova, the true breadbasket behind Gamenova, an inexhaustible source of resources.
Lin Lixin pulled out a chair and plopped down in front of Vivian.
Guess what?
Vivian glanced at Lin Lixin expressionlessly, remained silent for a long while, and then said:
"Next, you'll throw out a really outrageous topic, and I'll exclaim in surprise, 'Wow, how is that possible? Absolutely impossible, blah blah blah.'"
"Then you'll give a mysterious smile, and then pull out your pre-prepared solution, or simply acquire a company and obtain the key technology."
"At last..."
Lin Lixin was exasperated and quickly pulled her aside to stop her rambling.
"You really have no sense of romance. Okay, but it's pretty much what you said. There are a few things I need you to take care of."
His expression turned serious as he began to explain the task at hand. Although he had been joking around earlier, this mission was indeed very important.
The ARM architecture is crucial to the future of the mobile market, and the same applies to battery technology.
To open a second front and catch the Wintel Alliance off guard, they must go all out.
"First, ARM recently spun off from Acorn, but its performance is unreliable, and no one is willing to take it over for the time being."
"We can probably acquire the whole thing for around one or two million dollars."
Although MIPS is more mature and its licensing is relatively flexible, it is expensive and academic, making it unsuitable for their future plans.
Zilog and Motorola are already beyond saving, and are powerless to move forward in the next era.
Arm is truly the most suitable choice.
"Secondly, we need to develop a new operating system. Didn't you just say you wanted to make a desktop system?"
Although Jobs already had an operating system like Next-Step, its closed ecosystem didn't align with what Lin Lixin wanted to do, so they still had to develop a separate system.
Upon hearing this, Vivian was taken aback, not expecting Lin Lixin to bring up this old matter again at such a time.
Honestly, she'd almost forgotten about it herself. "Third, contact Ovonic. Aren't they currently in a patent race with Panasonic and Sanyo over nickel-metal hydride batteries? Allocate some funds to them and establish a cooperation framework."
Nickel-metal hydride batteries replace cadmium with a new architecture of hydrogen storage alloy, resulting in a significantly higher capacity than nickel-cadmium batteries and a less severe memory effect.
Although Lin Lixin wanted to fast-forward to the lithium battery era, there were simply too many prerequisite technologies involved.
Even if it could be developed, it would require a significant amount of time for market validation.
He certainly didn't want to blow up all his users with lithium dendrites.
We can start developing nickel-metal hydride batteries as a transitional measure, and then gradually begin research and development of lithium-ion batteries after finding a reliable partner.
It's never too late to develop lithium-ion batteries before the end of 1991, even if it beats Sony to it.
After being given several tasks, Vivian had a general idea of what Lin Lixin was planning to do.
Some kind of low-power portable device, similar to their handheld console, but certainly more advanced.
"Good."
Vivian nodded, without saying anything more.
Perhaps Gerald's recent departure had made Lin Lixin more cautious, for he suddenly sensed that Vivian seemed a bit off today. "What's wrong? You don't seem very enthusiastic today."
"Um... it's nothing."
Vivian gently shook her head.
"My stomach hurts a little, and I have a slight fever. I was in such a rush this morning that I forgot to get my medicine... Ugh..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Lixin's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh.
"Oh, what a coincidence! Let's go, I'll go to the hospital with you."
Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Vivian, went out, got into the car, and drove off.
"Oh? No need, I'll just wait until I get off work and go home."
Vivian was momentarily stunned by his initiative.
This is unbelievable! Why is this guy being so proactive today?
Besides, given their current circumstances, if they want to see a doctor, they should seek an appointment with a specialist in person; there's no way they'd go to the hospital in person.
"No, you absolutely have to go to this hospital today. Let's go to Cedars-Sinai." As one of the most valuable companies in California, Gamenova naturally has its own contracted top-tier private medical institutions.
The hospital favored by most of California's wealthy and Hollywood stars.
In America, money really can buy you life.
Cedars-Sinai, judging from the decoration of its Daimon, is more like a Holiday Inn than a medical center.
The design style of the entire building complex is very twisted, full of a chaotic feeling of left and right brain fighting.
The building's base is occupied by a parking lot, and its interior facilities resemble a maze. Apart from its earthquake resistance and flexibility, there is basically no sense of design.
No wonder critics are so keen to criticize this architectural complex.
Even so, it remains one of the top medical centers in California and even the entire United States.
The receptionist led the two to a private elevator, which took them directly to the VIP floor.
If Cedars-Sinai is a Holiday Inn, then this is its top-of-the-line suite.
"Uh... I'm really fine, there's no need for such a big fuss." Having made such a fuss, Vivian herself was a little embarrassed.
Those who didn't know better might think they had some terrible, serious illness.
"That won't do. You should stay here and rest. I'll go talk to the specialist about the medical fees and come back to see you later."
"No, sigh..."
As Vivian watched Lin Lixin leave and walk away, she felt increasingly uneasy.
For some reason, Vivian had a feeling...
Lin Lixin came here ostensibly to accompany me to the doctor, but he might actually be here to gather medical supplies!
Meanwhile, in the corridor.
"Mr. Lin, as you can see, this is the glass curtain wall passageway we set up. Guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery outside from here, and of course, get some fresh air."
Facing such a heavyweight client as the CEO of Gamenova, Cedars-Sinai naturally treated him with the highest level of courtesy.
"Um..."
Lin Lixin's gaze fell on the corridor ahead, and a sentence suddenly came to mind. "Please don't let the patient die in the corridor."
Even players who haven't played this game have likely heard this utterly absurd line if they've been in the gaming world for a while.
In some places, it's also translated as " The Theme Hospital " or "The Medical Profession Isn't So Great".
Its developer is Bullfrog Studio, which recently joined Gamenova.