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  • [MACWORLD Expo/Tokyo] Most Japanese iMac Buyers are New Mac Users, Jobs Says
  • February 22, 1999 (TOKYO) -- "More than 60 percent of iMac buyers in Japan are new users of Macintosh computers," Steve Jobs, interim CEO of Apple Computer Inc., said in a keynote speech at MACWORLD Expo/Tokyo 99.
    MACWORLD Expo/Tokyo 99 was held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture, from Feb. 18 through Feb. 20.

    The keynote speech was the executive's first speech in Japan.

    In his speech, Jobs covered four topics: the new Power Mac G3, the iMac, Macintosh computers and game software, and the Mac OS X.

    The speech was quite similar to the one that Jobs gave at MACWORLD Expo/San Francisco, on Jan. 8. Many in the audience had expected Jobs to make an announcement on the portable Mac "P1." However, Jobs refrained from making any such announcements.

    After the shipments began in the U.S. market on Aug. 15, 1998, more than 800,000 iMac units were been sold in the three-month period ending in December, Jobs said.

    Sales of iMac PCs in Japan have been brisk. According to Jobs, among those who purchased iMacs in the October-December period, 46 percent were first-time computer buyers, and 16 percent were switch-over users from Windows PCs. And more than 60 percent of the buyers were new Macintosh users.

    Also, Jobs said that after the iMac was released, 901 software titles in Japan and 1,559 software titles worldwide have been announced specifically for Macintosh machines.

    He indicated that he attaches increasing importance to game software.

    Apple's management board formerly underestimated game software, but that's no longer true, Jobs noted.

    Moreover, Jobs said the company's policy emphasizes improving three-dimensional graphics capabilities for game software.

    Toward the end of his speech, Jobs touched on the opening of the "The Apple Store - Japan Version" ( http://www.apple.com/japanstore/). It is important news for Japanese users.

    "You can now buy all the Apple products in Japanese, starting today, at Apple Store," Jobs said.

    More information in English is available at: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/1999/feb/18japan_buyers.html & http://www.apple.com/pr/library/1999/feb/18software.html

    Related story: Apple Japan Converts Windows Users to iMac at Rapid Rate

    (Nikkei MAC)



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    Updated: Fri Feb 19 14:53:08 1999 PDT