Apple's iMac Revolutionizes Japanese Market with Innovative Software and Peripherals

Strategic Insights -

Apple Computer, Inc. made a groundbreaking announcement on February 18, 1999, detailing the massive success of its iMac in the Japanese market. Since the iMac's debut on May 6, 1998, 1,559 new Macintosh software titles have been introduced worldwide, including 901 new localized titles in Japan. This marked a significant shift in the Japanese computer market, with major software titles such as Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition and Adobe Photoshop 5.0J gaining popularity among consumers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Apple's iMac has attracted 46% of its Japanese buyers who are first-time computer users, and 16% are Wintel converts, totaling 62% of iMac buyers in Japan who are new to the Macintosh platform.
  • The iMac has enabled Apple to bring both USB and FireWire technologies into the mainstream in Japan, with 130 Universal Serial Bus (USB) and 22 FireWire (IEEE 1394) peripherals introduced for Macintosh in the Japanese market.
  • Apple's online store, The Apple Store, has opened its e-doors in Japan at www.apple.co.jp/japanstore, allowing Japanese customers to purchase Macintosh hardware and software directly from Apple over the Internet.
  • Toshiba has developed the world's first prototype of a nonvolatile Chain Ferroelectric RAM (Chain FRAM), which surpasses the performance of current FRAM and combines high-speed read and write operations with a small chip size.
  • Japanese companies are actively investing in Y2K mitigation plans, with the Petroleum Association of Japan formulating a model contingency plan to help member firms cope with potential problems caused by the year 2000 computer glitch.

Statistics:

  • 1,559 new Macintosh software titles have been introduced worldwide since the iMac's debut on May 6, 1998.
  • 901 new localized titles in Japan have been released since the iMac's debut.
  • 46% of Japanese iMac buyers are first-time computer users.
  • 16% of Japanese iMac buyers are Wintel converts.
  • 62% of iMac buyers in Japan are new to the Macintosh platform.
  • 130 Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripherals have been introduced for Macintosh in the Japanese market.
  • 22 FireWire (IEEE 1394) peripherals have been introduced for Macintosh in the Japanese market.

Sources:

  • Asia Pulse, http://www.asiapulse.com
  • Apple Computer, Inc.
  • Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)
  • Nikkei Marketing Access