Sunday, April 29, 2007

Apple Post Record Sales in Q207*

*except in Japan.

Everywhere around the world, apparently, Apple sales are up for both desktop and laptop computers. But they can't their act together in Japan for like the last 2 years.

According to Apple Insider, "Apple Japan continued to "frustrate" Apple, accounting for just $283 million in revenues, down 8 percent year-over-year. This included the sale of 79,000 Macs, down 4 percent year-over-year."

Why do Apple's sales continue to suck ass here? This is the second largest consumer market in the world!

Part of the problem, according to some Japanese friends, is related to the ease of Windows Japanese text entry system, compared to the Mac's Kotoeri system. I've only used Kotoeri, so I can't compare. However, I'm told the system on Windows is more established and gives you better Kanji choices after typing in the alphabet.

Another issue is the COMPLETE LACK OF AN ACCEPTABLE PORTABLE COMPUTER. You've heard me say it before. I'll say it again until Apple gets it right. The MacBooks are fine machines for performance, but their weight and size are outrageous in comparison to other options. Ultraportable Windoze laptops are coming in with 12" screens, Core 2 Duos, and 1.5 - 2.0 kg - many even lighter. That's not to say that all the Windoze laptops in Japan are microscopic, but the preference for public commuters is SMALL. Even the 13-15" laptops are lighter than Apple's.

And don't give me this nonsense about "it would cost too much", because it's not so. If ASUS can do it, so can Apple.

What makes things worse, is that recent reports suggest Apple has put their ultraportable project on the backburner, perhaps not until next January. WTF!

I can't respect a company that makes a freaking phone a higher priority than its computing systems. 

I'll be looking for a Windows ultraportable in June if Apple can't make one and hope to get OSX running on it to make it useable.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Final Cut? Kiss my #$@@!

Rant mode on.

Yeah, I know it was the NAB show. Yeah, I know that 8 core Duo Mac Pros were announced last week or so. But COME ON Apple. Show us some hardware that "the rest of us" can actually use.

Joe Average doesn't give a nezumi's oshiri about Final Cut. It won't run fast enough on most user's machines, and is priced too highly for most of us to even blink at. I'm glad I didn't stay awake for this 'event' or the neighbors would have heard me yell "BFD"!

Yo Apple! Your iPod line has been obsolete for the last year. Your Mini's are too slow and over-priced, and your laptops are too freaking overweight for most public transport users to to carry around.

Do you really think that Final Cut is going to solve your crashing sales in Japan?!

Delaying Leopard to get the iPhone on-line isn't really an excuse. The iPhone is only going to be available in the the US market, not everywhere else in the world. And the iPhone is going to be using outdated transmission tech (GSM) that most of the rest of the industrialized world has dropped in favor of 3G. The iPhone won't do jack shit for your sales in Europe or Asia this year, or probably even next year. And by the time you do get it into those markets (if you ever do), there will be so many functional clones it won't matter.

And WTF happened to the ultraportables? I dunno about you, but my 12" G4 isn't cutting it these days and is starting to fall apart. Before I go out and buy one of these, and hack it to run OSX, how about you do us the justice of making a laptop that actually keeps up with the current Windoze laptop fare in performance and compactness.

I've said it before - less fluff and more stuff!