“Jobs & Co. are in danger of blowing an opportunity to score big with millions of tech- and status-symbol-crazy Chinese,” Alex Salkever writes for BusinessWeek. “Apple, however, is hardly rushing into this potential promised land, although it has shown signs of interest. In May, 2004, it unveiled a deal to preload its popular iTunes music software on every PC made by Founder Technology, China’s second-largest PC manufacturer. Mac watchers immediately discounted the possibility of an iTunes Music Store launch in China where rampant piracy would likely spook the big labels.”
“However, many wondered whether the Founder deal presaged a more intensive iPod marketing campaign in the big urban centers of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. So far Apple hasn’t done anything further on this score, but it ought to hurry up. It has a wide-open opportunity to become a big player in what will likely become the world’s largest personal-tech market within the next decade,” Salkever writes.
“The math is compelling. Weingrod estimates that China now has 35 million to 40 million households with the equivalent purchasing power of a U.S. household earning $25,000 to $30,000 per year. That means now 100 million Chinese are living the middle-class life. That number could double or triple over the next 10 years, Weingrod figures, making the Chinese middle and upper classes nearly as large as the entire U.S. population,” Salkever writes.
Full article here.
China will get stronger and drive the world economy for the next 25 years.
Anyone who underestimates the potential for China to have a major global economic (and other) impact hasn’t been paying attention. They’re overdue.
Everyone is missing the point. Apple has to catch up with the U.S. demand and the European demand before they can supply the rest of the world. If they had 500 million iPods available for sale right now, it still wouldn’t put a dent in the demand. Hence the logical delay on releasing the high capacity version. I think that HP will be handling the demand in China once their iPod (minus the mini) operations are up and running. I’m sure Apple doesn’t want the Mini’s to be branded with anything other than the Apple logo. Right now it is the symbol of what Apple as a mass marketer stands for. Therefore, you Motley Fools should have you eyes peeled on HP stock along with Apple’s in the very near future.
Take a look of the real situation in China:
http://www.bizshanghai.com/
and some propaganda
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/home/index.html
What comes to birth control, the country pumpkins with education based on Mao’s Red Book or worse and who want only boys, are controlled. The city people can have more children but have to pay extra. Since 1979 China has almost 400 million less Chinese than if there was no one-child policy. I like that a lot.
Yep, imagine if those 400 million people would’ve wanted to drive Hummers, or build a house like yours….
China is the 3rd biggest market in the world.
If APPLE ignore this market they are truely idiots!
The chinese would love the ipod and ipod mini – they are total gadget freaks and APPLE would sell more there than in the USA!
APPLE needs to launch the itunes music store there this year!
Forget about communism and politics! At the end of the day a customer is a customer now matter where they live or their political beliefs!
China is the 3rd biggest market in the world.
If APPLE ignore this market they are truely idiots!
The chinese would love the ipod and ipod mini – they are total gadget freaks and APPLE would sell more there than in the USA!
APPLE needs to launch the itunes music store there this year!
Forget about communism and politics! At the end of the day a customer is a customer now matter where they live or their political beliefs!
Yo Yo – The communist party of china thanks your for supporting them in genocide.
400 million fewer Chinese – because of how many murders?
Compared with the Chinese Communists, Stalin and Hitler were third rate.
Yo Yo – you are lucky to have benefited from an accident of birth. You would think differently if they were coming for your wife.