Halt and Catch Fire

Today's discussion is postponed,

as we have a very special guest.

He's played an instrumental part

in the world debut of the IBM PC,

which is now on the verge of becoming

the industry standard for corporate America.

Please welcome Mr. Joseph MacMillan.

Let me start by asking a question.

How many of you desire to be computer engineers?

Hmm.

Oh... glad you could join us.

Keep your hands up, keep your hands up.

Now I'm going to list off several categories.

When you hear a category you don't have hands-on experience in...

put your hand down.

Software design.

Hardware/software integration.

Circuit design. Micro processing.

Firmware design. Very large-scale integration.

Something funny?

I don't think you really know what that is.

Why?

Because nobody who knows what it is calls it that.

"VLSI." How's that?

Operating systems.

P-ROM configuration and PLC design.

Personal computer design. Very good.

Now, tell me one thing that will be true

about computers 10 years from now.

Well, fully intelligent machines

will simulate the actions of neurons more closely, replicate...

Okay, thanks. You.

Uh, computers will be connected together across one network

with a standard protocol.

- Like phone lines. - Obviously phone lines.

- What's your name? - Cameron.

Cameron Howe.

So, you graduate this year.

You land a job, become a programmer for what,

what do you wanna do? Microcode? PCs? Video games?

Do you need a quarter?

- Got it. - Nice.

I want to work for Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative

and put missiles in space.

Are you afraid to give me a straight answer?

A straight answer? Uh, let's see.

Everything I'm studying here is so totally 10 years ago

that no one who matters pays attention to anything I do.

- I'm paying attention. - Yeah, but do you matter?

Hey, can we get two more?

Would you know if I did?

What is this anyway, some kind of job interview?

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on you.

You still haven't answered my question.

Does it even matter what I want to do?

God, this is an industry built on people

ripping off each other's boring-ass ideas.

SCP rips off CP/M, Microsoft rips off SCP.

Oh, IBM rips off everybody, right?

You've got a lot of excuses.

And you work for IBM.

Hey, computers could be more. They should be.

You build counting machines,

the same thing you've done for the last 70 years.

I don't work for IBM.

Uh!

This doesn't mean you get the job.

Wow.

You mean we're not in love?

Clark.

Clear the gate.

Ain't no jail cell can hold me.

Come on.

You didn't have to bring the kids.

I think I did.

Look, I had one too many drinks.

It got away from me.

It won't happen again.

Sorry.

You still have a job?

Of course I do.

They could care less about me anyway.

Remember at the demo

when we went to turn it on and it wouldn't turn on?

Gordon...

It's like, 1979 was good, but then 1980 came

and it was like, whoa...

what happened, you know?

What I know is that you need to be at work in four hours.

Four.

Then your dad... your dad said,

"We can't lend you any more."

And he wasn't being mean.

He was just in his kitchen looking at me,

and I said, "Okay, Gary."

You're drunk, so the best thing

you could do right now is to shut up.

I know what IBM is.

I also know what IBM ain't,

and everything that ain't IBM is cheaper, faster, and better,

and that's what this company lives by.

Well, John, that's what Hitachi thought.

And Burroughs and NCR and Honeywell and Control Data.

No, I know all the companies that IBM has crushed,

and Cardiff Electric ain't one of 'em. It won't be.

You sound pretty sure about that.

Look at you.

Same suit, different tie.

You know, Dallas is a long way from Armonk, New York, son.

- That's no accident. - I couldn't agree with you more,

but maybe I'm a guy who's done doing business like that.

Maybe I see Cardiff Electric as a mid-major

ready to take the jump

and myself as the heavy hitter you need

to legitimize your sales force, this company, this region.

I just need someone to come in here and blow the balls off the numbers, Joe.

I will tell you this... it's systems software, straight up.

No application, no next-gen PC garbage.

It ain't sexy, but it sure as hell makes us some serious money.

- Then I'm your guy. - Don't know if I see it.

You got East Coast corporate written all over ya.

Don't like East Coast corporate.

Hell, hotshot, you didn't bring in a damn resume.

And what is this?

- What am I looking at? - My W-2.

Box one is my last reported income at IBM.

Whoo-hoo.

It's also what 200% of quota looks like.

The golden circle.

I'll break numbers. I always do.

You answer to me. I'm SVP of sales,

so you're dog shit around here until you close a deal.

- Do you understand? - I do.

"I do." Good.

Well, we're married.

You may now go break your numbers, darlin'.

Free and clear through Lewisville and Carrollton,

but starting to slow down...

Hey.

A-16.

Hey, that's me. That's my spot, A-16.

High from Love Field today is 86...

A-16!

A-16.

- You're my SE for this sales call. - Oh, fantastic.

We'll take my car, it's closer.

The truth is, our systems

are outperforming every top seller in the market.

- What about IBM? - IBM is IBM,

but we're neck and neck and we're cheaper.

Technically. The difference in cost is negligible.

It just seems you guys at Cardiff

think you've built yourselves a fancy race car

that deserves an outrageous price tag.

And we get no Big Blue guarantee.

I don't think there is such a thing.

Well, they had me fooled.

Me, too.

I worked there.

I grew up there.

And I was brought up to believe that the work we did,

the things we built were the singular contribution to computers

that history would remember.

And I believed it for a long time.

For a long time, it was true.

Nobody ever got fired for buying an IBM, right?

To stay alive, but not enough to matter.

Is that what you want?

You can be more.

You want to be more, don't you?

This is your chance.

This is not about not losing.

This is about you finally having the confidence

to walk out on the ledge and know that you're not going to fall.

Are we still talking about systems software here?

Amen, let's get this guy another drink.

I'm not going to apologize for caring about your business,

even if the people who work for you don't.

I'll ask you one more time.

Are you ready to be more?

- There's also free install... - Gordon, please.

I'll think about it.

Look, it's better than a flat-out no.

Hey, man, look, Applied Data hasn't bought jack-all from anyone in years.

You did a solid job explaining the software,

but I need you to do me one favor.

Okay.

Next time I move to close, this is what you do.

- Okay, what? - You shut up!

"Lodi" playing.

- Hey. - Hey, Mom.

Hey, you little monkeys. Give me my kisses.

Thank you. Go play.

Mom, Speak & Spell's not working.

Well, what's wrong with it?

- It won't turn on. - Joanie did it.

Uh-uh, Haley did it. She was playing with her blocks...

Let's see.

Joanie's Speak & Spell won't turn on.

Pressing "on" makes it go.