Although Ethan Jones had not been part of the technology industry in his previous life, his understanding of it came from the autobiographies of various big names. Those books repeatedly emphasized two fundamental reasons for the rise and popularity of personal computers:
The first was the birth of the central microprocessor. The second was the falling price of personal computers.
So, when Steve Wozniak began talking about finding cheap chips, Ethan immediately thought of Apple. If he remembered correctly, Apple had succeeded early on by relying on the combination of high quality and low price.
As for the finer details—such as how Apple reduced costs, or how it captured market share through price wars—well, if Ethan could recite that sort of thing from memory, would he still be sitting here now? He had been too busy just getting by.
But none of that mattered anymore. The moment Wozniak mentioned finding CPUs for just $42 apiece, Ethan perked up. And when Steve Jobs pressed for more details.
The chubby engineer didn't hide anything and revealed his discovery directly.
"Oh Steve, it was actually quite a coincidence. You know, when I realized the Altair's design wasn't even as good as my high school practice projects, an idea popped into my head—to revisit some of my earlier inventions.
So, after last month's party, I redesigned a personal computer in my mind. While doing so, I carefully compared the prices and specifications of central microprocessors on the market.
I found that the Intel 8080 and the Motorola 6800 were both priced at $360, but the Motorola 6800 had slightly better performance. Naturally, I decided to use the Motorola 6800 as the computer's core.
But just as I was finishing my circuit diagram, a colleague told me about a company in Wisconsin selling microprocessors at retail for just $42 each."
At that, Steve Jobs' eyes widened. WTF? news was astonishing.
Wozniak, watching his reaction, pursed his lips proudly. "Shocked, right?"
"Of course!" Jobs threw up his hands. He tried lowering his voice, but the excitement still spilled out. "Do you know what a $42 chip means? When Intel and Motorola are charging $360, this is basically heaven!"
"Yeah! Yeah! Exactly!" Wozniak nodded furiously. "I was just as excited! If it weren't for the distance between California and Wisconsin, I would have rushed over that very night just to see it with my own eyes.
In the end, I could only ask for their contact details. At first, I asked if they could mail me a chip. But when I learned they were coming to San Francisco to promote their product at the start of this month, I decided to meet them in person.
And then… I felt like I was seeing God!" Wozniak waved his arms, still glowing with excitement. "Even now, weeks later, I can't fully describe what I felt—but I knew this was what I had been searching for!
As soon as I got it, I couldn't wait to solder it onto my circuit board. I've spent these past few days busy refining my diagrams."
He scowled suddenly. "So when I was dragged out today by those people, I was furious. They were wasting my time!"
His expression turned gloomy again, but Steve Jobs was nearly bouncing with excitement.
"Oh, Stephen! Does this mean you can build something right away? Are we really about to have our own computer?"
"If nothing else gets in the way, I think I can finish it in the next few days," Wozniak replied seriously.
"Oh! What a surprise!" Jobs said "Damn, this is the best news I've heard all day!"
The next second, he flared up again. "Shxt! Steven Levy and those guys are real sons of bitches! They're wasting your time—no! They're executioners! They're murdering your precious time!
Oh, brother! Let's hurry and eat! I'll go back with you afterward—I want to witness that exciting moment myself! I, Steven Jobs, will finally have a microcomputer!!"
As he said, Jobs suddenly turned to Ethan and warmly invited him:
"Ethan, do you have time? Come with us and see for yourself! Really, I promise Stephen's technology will blow your mind—it'll be eye-opening!"
But before he finished, he realized he'd misspoken. Turning quickly to Wozniak, he corrected himself: "Oh Steve, sorry—I got a little carried away. What I meant was… you don't mind showing off your skills in front of Ethan, right?"
"Of course not!" The little fat man straightened his nose and grinned at Ethan. "You're welcome to come if you have time. Steve already told me about you—he said you're a good friend and very generous. Not like those stingy Grandet types. You know who to share joy with."
"Oh, thank you." Ethan understood at once—Wozniak was referring to the thousand-dollar reward he'd given Jobs. "That was just normal cooperation," Ethan clarified.
"But you did help Steve," Wozniak shrugged. "He's happy, and so am I."
"Alright, alright, don't make a big deal of it—I'll be embarrassed if you keep saying that." Ethan nodded with a smile. "I have time, and I'm honored to accept your invitation."
Of course Ethan was interested. After hearing Wozniak's description of the cheap chip, he knew this must be the very moment when Apple was born.
To witness such a turning point in the history of technology was truly a blessing.
Fueled by excitement, the three of them finished their lunch in a hurry and headed straight to Palo Alto.
At that time, Wozniak was working as an engineer at HP, so his home was there.
And when the fat man ushered Ethan and Jobs inside, his face glowed with pride. With trembling hands, he revealed the chip—his great discovery.
It was a black package, about one-third the size of a memory stick in later generations. There were two neat rows of pins on either side, and in the center, white letters stood out clearly.
Three vertical bars, a round cake, and three horizontal bars—the logo of the manufacturer. And a bold string of numbers: 6502.
To be honest, this was a moment of history. But as soon as Ethan saw the chip clearly, he froze as if struck by lightning. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Because suddenly, he realized—he had seen this chip before!
In his last life. On a teacher's PPT slide in class. And its name?
If his memory served him right, the name was printed right there on the chip—
MOS 6502!
Note:
①According to Woz, he discovered the 6502 at the Western Electronics Show in June 1975. By that logic, it would be impossible for Ethan not to know about the 6502. But this is incorrect.
Documentary records from the University of California Library's digital archives confirm that while the 6502 was indeed officially launched at the Electronics Show, that show was held from September 16th to September 19th, 1975. Therefore, based on reliable records, the narration in the article is accurate.
② Woz built the Apple I on June 29, 1975, which was before the official release of the 6502.
③ Why did Woz have access to the chip before its official release? As mentioned in the article, prior to launch, a small advertisement appeared in a Wisconsin magazine. Because the price was so low, many assumed it was a scam. But Woz, who wasn't short of money, went ahead and bought one. After testing it, he confirmed the chip was genuine, with a valid instruction set.
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