socalfunplaces Chapter 86 McNealy's Ideas
Chapter 86 McNealy's Ideas
Unlike the somewhat dated industrial feel of AMD's headquarters, Sun's campus exudes the energy and unbridled spirit of Silicon Valley's golden age. McNealy's office takes this style to the extreme—in the spacious area, besides the necessary office furniture, the most eye-catching feature is a shelf displaying golf clubs, a hockey stick standing in the corner, and instead of corporate accolades, a huge Microsoft Windows 95 poster riddled with darts.
McNealy himself wasn't sitting behind his desk; instead, he was wearing a polo shirt and leaning back on the armchair in the reception area, his feet casually propped up on the coffee table. Seeing Ling Yun being led in by his secretary, he didn't immediately get up, but simply waved the half-eaten apple in his hand.
"Ling Yun? Come in and sit down! Don't be shy, there aren't so many rules here." His voice was loud and clear, carrying an overwhelming sense of casualness and confidence.
Ling Yun sat down on the sofa opposite him. "Mr. McNealy, thank you for agreeing to see me."
"Call me Scott!" McNealy tossed the remaining apple core precisely into the trash can a few meters away, sat up straight, and scrutinized Ling Yun with piercing eyes. "I know you, Star System. Get rid of that damn desktop and use the browser as the entry point! That's a brilliant idea! That's what a network computer should be like!"
He made no attempt to hide his admiration, then abruptly changed the subject, his tone filled with disdain: "Bill's party? Ha! I wouldn't go to one of those hypocritical social gatherings. A bunch of people there spouting insincere pleasantries while plotting how to devour you. Microsoft, that's a 'dark empire'! They want to lock the entire computer world in their backyard with closed Windows and patent chains."
Before Ling Yun could respond, McNealy launched into a tirade, waving his arms and speaking with great emotion: "Only open source! Like our Java, like your StarCraft system kernel—this is the kind of technology that truly benefits all of humanity! With code in the open, everyone can inspect, improve, and collaboratively build upon it. This is the only right path to breaking monopolies and driving technological progress!"
He stared at Ling Yun and suddenly asked, "I heard that old bastard Bill came looking for you before? Was he planning to devour you and your Starry Sky together?"
"Yes," Ling Yun replied calmly. "He invited me to the manor and offered to buy it from me, but I refused."
"You refused?!" McNealy slammed his hand on the coffee table, making the glasses rattle, but a huge smile spread across his face. "Well done, Ling! I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
He stood up excitedly and paced rapidly around the office, as if trying to burn off this sudden surge of excitement. "That greedy guy! He thinks he can buy everything with money, including the future! He doesn't understand that some things can't be measured by money! You rejected him, good! Excellent!"
He turned around, sat heavily back on the sofa, leaned forward so much that he was almost in front of Ling Yun, and said with fervent eyes, "Ling, just for this reason alone, I've decided to be your friend! We're kindred spirits! We've both seen through the true nature of that dark empire and dared to say 'no' to them!"
After the initial excitement subsided, McNealy's tone calmed down slightly, but it still carried a strong fighting spirit: "You know what? We at Sun are ready, and we're about to formally sue Microsoft."
Ling Yun wasn't surprised; he was aware of this history: "Regarding Java compatibility issues?"
"That's right!" A fierce glint flashed in McNealy's eyes. "Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine deliberately deviates from the specifications, doing its own thing and breaking the promise of 'write once, run anywhere'! They want to split the Java community and turn it into a vassal of Windows! We will never allow it!"
He swung his arm forcefully, as if commanding a battle: "So, now is the time to choose sides! And I, Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystems, am undoubtedly on your side, on the side of Star Systems!"
Before Ling Yun could even make a specific request for cooperation, McNealy proactively offered his promise: "Listen, Ling. Sun will fully support the Star System. Our Java technology will undergo deep, bottom-level optimizations specifically for the Star System. I will have our engineering team work with your system team to ensure that Java runs more smoothly and efficiently on the Star System than on any other platform!"
He grew increasingly excited as he spoke, painting a picture of the future: "We want to make the Star System the platform of choice for Java developers worldwide! Just imagine, an open-source, network-native operating system, combined with the 'write once, run anywhere' Java language—that's the most powerful weapon combination to fight against the closed Windows empire!"
McNealy stood up, walked to his desk, picked up the internal phone, and almost shouted the order: "Get the head of the Java division and the chief architect to my office immediately! Now!" He put down the phone and said to Ling Yun: "Your technical team can handle the specific details directly. Sun will provide full access to resources, documentation, and technical support."
This unwavering support, based on shared ideals and a common enemy, gave Lingyun a different sense of power than when he was working with AMD. Sanders was a shrewd businessman who formed alliances based on mutual interests; while McNealy was more like a warrior holding high the torch of idealism, full of passion and determination to fight against the "Dark Empire."
"Scott, thank you so much for your support," Ling Yun said sincerely. "A strong Java ecosystem is crucial to the Starry Sky system. This will help us attract a large number of developers and quickly build our application ecosystem."
"Of course it's important!" McNealy waved his hand. "We must prove together that an open and collaborative model is more vital and better able to create the future than a closed and monopolistic model!"
Soon, several key technical figures from Sun Microsystems arrived at the office. In front of Ling Yun, McNealy reiterated the strategic direction of fully supporting the Starry Sky system and conducting deep Java integration, and demanded the establishment of a joint technical working group to advance this initiative with the highest priority.
It was late when Lingyun left Sun Microsystems. But his steps felt more firm than when he arrived. McNealy's almost "idealistic alliance," while tinged with strong personal emotion, was a force to be reckoned with. Java's influence in the developer community would be a crucial weapon for the Star System in its fight against Microsoft's application ecosystem barriers.
The second piece of the anti-Microsoft alliance, and the one with the most distinctive style and the strongest will, is now in place. The next target is the hardware giants who, while dependent on, harbor resentment within the Wintel alliance.