IP: Business Week Discovers Japan--Wow!!

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 12:13:24 +0900
To: farber () cis upenn edu
From: anderson () glocom ac jp (Stephen J. Anderson)


Dave--thanks for posting on the Japan-related DFS list.  


Robert Neff, former Director of the American Chamber of Commerce
in Japan and soon to return to Business Week, spoke in Tokyo Tuesday 
night about how American media have also contributed to "Japan passing" 
problems where much of the world will thus miss the important innovations
about to emerge from the world's second largest economy.


Fortunately, one of his colleagues managed to get a cover story that
describes the tip of the iceberg.  Steven Brull contributed the article
entitled, "Wow!  Japan's New Gadgets" that describes the digital products
now emerging from the domestic market--See Business Week in the
latest issue.


The Yomiuri is even gloating Thursday, and supporting such arguments.


Article title:  "NEC, Casio beat U.S. with new PCs Hand-held
personal computers first to use Windows CE software"


For the uninitiated, the article explains about PDAs.


"The Windows CE-based computers are expected to become the next 
generation of what is called a personal digital assistant (PDA), a 
computer that fits into a pocket and is used for managing personal 
information such as schedules and addresses, as well as for Internet 
access and spreadsheet calculations."


These are networked computers, and there is not even a mention 
of the Sharp Zaurus which also premiered this week at the COMDEX 
convention, and which Dave Farber seems to like.


[ comment from Dave Farber -- one has to separate product from media blitz.
Clearly MS knows how to do the latter and we will see how the former works
out. I sit now with a Pilot and a Libretto. The Pilot display is bad but
the size is great. The Libretto display and power is excellent , size is
not pocket. I will get a WIN CE machine as soon as I see one that had
accessories available for it at the same time the machine is available
(side bar -- why is it most if not all the Japanese organizer companies
(and from the look so far the PDA comanies can not manage to get simple
assessories like power convertors etc out with their products.} Enough said
now.. next comment on WIN CE when I get a system djf]


Reference:  http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newsj/1121dy17.htm


IT types at Compaq should worry, because NEC has very deep pockets
which could allow them to cut prices even below costs..... 


I will go out on a limb.  With the bilateral trade surplus of Japan vis-a-vis
the United States climbing 31% last month, I think this article may mark
the start of a new climate.  Though autos appear to be the big part of the
surplus, the future trade frictions are going to include gadgets from the
digital industries arising here in Japan.  When those gadgets start making
big money in the United States, trade frictions are inevitable.


If you were impressed with Detroit's past uproar, wait till we see the 
Silicon Valley experience a recession.  Wow!


****************************************
Stephen J. Anderson
URL http://www.glocom.ac.jp/staff/anderson.e.html
Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM)
International University of Japan
****************************************