Woz's words left Ethan confused, but his help made him genuinely happy.
He finished breakfast in high spirits, humming a tune. Wozniak headed off to work at HP as usual. Jobs, however followed Ethan into the kitchen.
At first, Ethan found it strange. But when he asked Jobs what was going on while washing dishes, Jobs didn't bother to hide anything. Leaning against the doorframe, he said bluntly:
"Ethan, last night I did some quick calculations. The cost of building a computer motherboard with the 6502 should be only about $250. Meanwhile, Altair's computer motherboard is priced at $397. I think you understand what I mean?"
Jobs winked at him. "I realized that Stephen's computer has tremendous commercial potential. And then you mentioned that the 6502 has even broader applications? Isn't that a coincidence?
Besides, I don't think everything you just said is true, right? Using the 6502 just for games? No, no, no! That's far too extravagant.
So… what you really want to do is build a computer, isn't it?"
"Uh-huh?" steve question made Ethan smile.
"Oh—Steve…" he drawled. Resting his hands on the edge of the sink, he sighed with emotion. "I don't even know what to say. I feel like we have an very good level of understanding!"
Steve Jobs was right. If Ethan truly secured the 6502, his top priority would be Apple. Why? Simply because it promised the greatest returns.
Think about it: a computer motherboard with the 6502 could sell for over $300, while a game console would fetch only $199.
With the CPU cost being the same, the profits from computers were obvious.
And if someone claimed the core selling point of a console was games—well, the core selling point of computers was software.
Office software, once developed, could be just as profitable as games, if not more.
For that reason, Ethan wasn't about to waste time debating the matter. He wanted both.
Following history's course, while CPU prices were still relatively high, the smart move was to first use computers to squeeze out the biggest profits. Then, once CPU prices fell, use game consoles to reap profits all over again. That was the true path of a businessman.
"Yeah~" Ethan's admission made Jobs light up. "That means we share the same vision!"
Before Ethan could reply, Jobs clenched his fist, thrust it down in a cheer, and grinned. "Hope you can pull it off! I'll be waiting for your good news!"
"Wait!"
As Jobs turned to leave, Ethan quickly stopped him. "Don't rush off just yet."
"Since you asked me a question, it's only fair that I ask you one too."
"Go ahead," Jobs said casually. "Any question is fine."
"I want to know—why do you want to sell computers? Is it just because they make money?"
Yes, this was something Ethan had always been curious about.
In his memory, the media had always claimed it was "inevitable" for Steve Jobs to create Apple—because, supposedly, Jobs had wanted to change the world since he was a child. But that kind of standard rhetoric was nothing more than a recycled American Dream cliché. Only a fool would believe it!
After all, Jobs wasn't some rich second-generation kid.
It made sense if someone like Ralph Bear—who already had financial freedom—talked about dreams. But Jobs? A guy living on the edge of survival talking about dreams?
he can't even afford food, and you're talking about changing the world? That's not inspirational—it's tragic comedy.
So now, Ethan wanted to know his real motivation for founding Apple.
Jobs blinked and answered with surprise: "Ethan, don't you know? I'm about to be unemployed…"
"…Huh?" Ethan froze. "What did you say?"
Jobs repeated it matter-of-factly. "I said I'm about to lose my job. Nolan's going to sell Atari."
"What?" He stared at Jobs in disbelief. "Nolan wants to sell Atari? Since when?"
No wonder Ethan was stunned. In his memory, Atari's true legacy wasn't just opening the gates of video games with Pong, but also single-handedly shutting them with the disaster of E.T.. The collapse of Atari was a story every veteran gamer knew.
And yet here Jobs was, calmly telling him that Nolan Bushnell wanted to sell Atari? it didn't add up.
Did the fall of Atari really have nothing to do with Nolan Bushnell? Ethan knew it was possible, but something about it felt off.
While Ethan sat frowning in confusion, Jobs simply spread his hands and began to explain.
It turned out that after Magnavox formally sued Atari, the company's executives fell into despair. Everyone knew it was a losing case. Atari would walk out of court saddled with a massive fine.
In the end, thanks to Nolan Bushnell's efforts, Atari and Magnavox reached an out-of-court settlement. But the condition—that Atari couldn't release new games for a full year—left Nolan frustrated.
So, before the company lost all value, he decided to sell Atari while he still could.
In the weeks following the settlement, Nolan contacted several potential buyers, including Disney and MCA. Both were very interested.
Disney, in particular, had a natural advantage in arcade distribution. After all, Disneyland was the perfect place in the world to showcase arcade machines. Their visitors were not only the most receptive to new entertainment but also had unmatched spending power.
Because, Disney offered $20 million for Atari, which was still considered valuable. To outbid them, MCA—eager to break into gaming—put $22 million on the table.
At that time, Nolan was on the verge of agreeing. He would walk away with at least $15 million in cash.
But then Jobs shrugged. "The unexpected happened. Nolan asked me to attend the trade show just to write my own sales pitch. But unexpectedly, I found you.
When he saw Snake Game, he wanted to close the deal first.
He felt that a successful agency contract could make Atari more valuable. And right now—that's exactly when Atari is at its peak."
"Okay…" Ethan understood. No wonder Nolan Bushnell and Don Valentine had so quickly agreed to change the agency contract to just one year, right after he had pushed them during negotiations. At the time, Ethan thought it was his shameless persistence that had forced them to give in.
But now he realized. So they only wanted to raise Atari's valuation?
No wonder Nolan Bushnell had been so cheerful when Ethan demanded his cut of the profits. That was probably just to show potential buyers that Atari had strong partnerships and solid cooperation.
"Ah—business is business," Ethan sighed. He turned back to Jobs. "So, you just want to find a way out for yourself? Planning to start your own company?"
"Of course!" Jobs nodded firmly. "I've realized that people like me are only suited to starting their own companies.
Working under someone else? Impossible. I always think the boss is an idiot."
"Okay." Ethan gave a small nod. "Last question—when did you find out about all this?"
The question made Jobs frown. After a moment's thought, he replied:
"Ethan, I swear, I only heard the news this month. Nolan didn't tell me. A friend of mine—someone at MCA—did.
Please forgive me, I can't reveal his name. He has a special position there. All I can say is we're close, and since this involves business secrets, I have to protect him."
"Alright, alright, don't misunderstand," Ethan said, clarifying. "I'm not blaming you. Thank you for telling me. I wish you good luck. If you ever need my help, just ask."
"Thanks, brother." Jobs exhaled with relief and raised his right fist. "I won't be polite if I do."
"Please, anytime." Ethan bumped fists with him, unbothered that his hands were still wet.
Then Steve Jobs left the house. As for whether he was really going to work that day? Ethan had no idea.
But when the excited shouts rang out outside Ethan couldn't help sighing.
He had never imagined that the birth of Apple would be so hasty. Even less had he expected that his own role in it would come from such a simple intervention.
Does this mean it's already accomplished? That's it, right? Ethan muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing with a smile.
But the smile faded. Because deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just been tricked by Nolan Bushnell.
I hope that's just an illusion.
Note ①: After Magnavox sued Atari, Nolan wanted to sell the company. This really did happen. The reason was quite simple—Nolan hoped to find a strong "parent" for Atari, since he knew he couldn't stop Magnavox's lawsuit.
As for turning to Disney, that too was simple: Nolan loved Disney. In fact, he once went to California hoping to land a job there, but failed. Even so, whether it was his failure to get hired or his failure to sell the company, his affection for Disney never faded.
Later, when he finally sold Atari and opened a restaurant, the restaurant's logo was still a mouse. A true testament to his deep love for Disney.
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