It was night at Steve Wozniak's house. The bright moonlight streamed through the window, mixing with the warm glow.
Ethan Jones sat at the desk beside the bed. A pen rested in his hand, but he wasn't writing with purpose. The messy scribbles on the paper before him reflected his tangled thoughts, while the circled nouns revealed the true desires in his heart.
And what had he written? Electronic Games. Apple Inc. 6502.
After realizing he had traveled through time, Ethan Jones drafted a simple plan for his future. At first, he aimed to quickly accumulate wealth through the video game industry, then use that capital for value investments—ultimately achieving the financial freedom everyone longed for.
But later, while promoting Snake Game, he met Steve Jobs. From that moment, Ethan admitted, his thoughts were filled with Apple.
And who could blame him? Apple was the fastest path to success in this era.
As the pioneer of the personal computer age, Apple was the first to seize the dividends of the times. Although Microsoft had been founded earlier, it couldn't even catch Apple's shadow.
Since its birth in 1976, Steve Jobs had pushed Apple to the Nasdaq in just four years, creating four billionaires in the process. No other industry could boast such breathtaking speed.
Ethan had once considered building his own computer. But when the tide of history surged forward, he couldn't resist placing his bet on Steve Jobs. After securing cooperation with Atari on Snake Game, he directly gave Jobs a thousand dollars and spent a month running through nearly ten states alongside him, chasing opportunities.
To be honest, Ethan sometimes wondered if his investment was a reckless. If he really persuaded Evelyn to build a computer, then he and Jobs would become rivals.
But when that chubby Woz declared, "My dad bled for the United States! My dad was wounded for the United States! He endured all the hardships I should have endured in this life…"
Ethan felt that his decision had been more than worthwhile.
In American society, clinging to the strongest support mattered more than anything. What sense was there in making his own computer only to fight Woz head-on? Wasn't that sheer stupidity?
Even if he asked Evelyn to apply for Stanford's entrepreneurial fund, in this era, the Lockheed name carried far greater weight.
Ethan was, at his core, an ordinary man. If he could secure the safest route finance freedom at the smallest cost, he would do so without hesitation. And now, Apple stood right before him—yet at the same time, What kind of absurd luck was that?
Perhaps it was because he had memories of his past life. When planning his future, Ethan had nearly forgotten the MOS 6502—an unassuming creation, hidden behind media glare, yet woven deeply into the lives of millions.
But now that it had appeared, how could it be worthy of a time his identity if he didn't make a splash?
Ethan would never consider buying MOS outright—he had already looked into the company over the past few days. Founded in 1969, MOS specialized in semiconductors for electronic calculators. Thanks to its business ties with HP, Woz—who worked there—had been able to get MOS's contact information directly.
The company's current market value was about 12 million U.S. dollars. Even if Ethan copied ten video games in a row, he still wouldn't be able to afford something like that anytime soon.
But licensing? Production rights? Modification rights? That shouldn't cost too much, right?
He had over $200,000 available, and the rest he could borrow by mortgaging the agency contract for Snake Game with Atari. If that still wasn't enough, he could always turn to Thomas Johnson, the uncle who doted on him.
And what if MOS refused to grant authorization? In Ethan's memory, an professor had explained the reason behind the MOS 6502's incredible longevity. It was because the developers truly kept their promise—they licensed the 6502 chip to many companies, even when it sometimes hurt their own interests.
Ethan had no intention of becoming a great man. He would be perfectly satisfied simply living a happy life.
And now… if he could secure the MOS 6502 before it became famous, that would be the happiest thing!
Yes! That settles it! Ethan tapped the table rhythmically with five fingers. Since the chip could power either a computer or a game console, there was no way he could let it slip through his fingers. Even if he couldn't produce it immediately, he had to secure the rights.
Once this idea lodged in Ethan Jones's mind, he couldn't shake it. So early the next morning, over breakfast, he asked Woz for MOS's contact information. His request made Woz blink in surprise.
"Ethan, why do you need MOS's contact information?" the chubby man asked curiously. "Do you also want to build a personal computer?"
The question made Jobs look up. "Ethan, if you want a personal computer, why not just ask Stephen to build it for you?" he said, turning to Woz. "Right?"
"Of course! No problem—we're friends," Woz replied with a nod. "Ethan, if you want one, I can make another circuit board for you tonight. In three to five days at most, I'll have it ready."
"Thank you."
The warmth and generosity of the two made Ethan Jones smile. He accepted their kindness. At the same time, he gave the explanation he had already prepared.
"However, I want MOS's contact information because I'm very interested in their chip—the MOS 6502.
You know, video games were originally born on electronic computers. The reason arcade machines appeared was because computers were too expensive. Nolan Bushnell used the simplest physical reactions to simulate gameplay and bring video games to the market. Under his design, the cost of an arcade motherboard was about 150 U.S. dollars—much cheaper than Intel's 8080 or Motorola's 6800, which cost around 360.
It's this price gap that makes the arcade industry profitable.
But now? MOS 6502 sells for only forty-two dollars! This price will devastate Nolan Bushnell's arcade circuit boards.
When the cost of a central microprocessor is just one-third the price of a gaming component board… the entire arcade industry is going to change dramatically!
That's why I want to move before the change comes. I need the MOS 6502 chip—and its authorization. Because I believe this chip will definitely change the world."
When Woz and Jobs had been bold enough to place Apple's design drawings in front of him, he felt no need to hide his own pursuit of the chip. Besides, even if he kept quiet, wouldn't they know later anyway?
Woz had mentioned many times that the 6502 was a promising product. And if this brilliant engineer was willing to lend a hand. Ethan believed many things could be solved.
Woz exclaim in surprise. "Oh Ethan, your idea is so strange! Will the MOS 6502 really have such a huge impact on the video game industry? I never thought about that! I was only considering how, once computers became popular, people would be able to play games directly on them. But the way you put it…"
In just few seconds, Steve Wozniak understood Ethan's point. At the same time, he couldn't deny Ethan's reasoning.
"Okay, Ethan," he said seriously. "I think what you're saying makes sense. If the MOS 6502's output can truly meet demand, it will absolutely affect multiple industries."
"Oh, thank you for understanding." Ethan smiled and nodded. "So—"
"Okay, okay, I get it"
Before Ethan could finish, Woz had already jumped up. He disappeared into his room and rummaged around. A few minutes later, he came out holding a business card.
"Here. When you call him, just mention my name.
You've got about two months to negotiate, because they won't officially release the product until mid-September, when they come to San Francisco for the electronics show."
Note ①: MOS licensed the 6502 chip to many companies, including the military-industrial giant Rockwell; Japan's Ricoh; Taiwan's UMC; WDC, founded by the 6502's own inventor; and Synertek, a small company spun off from Fairchild engineers. They were even allowed to modify it as they pleased.