“Hitachi is pulling out of the sale of personal computers, saying it wants to focus on larger network systems for businesses instead,” BBC News reports.
“Hitachi said it was now scaling back PC production at its central Japan plant,” The Beeb reports. “The electronics group had been Japan’s eighth-largest PC maker, with its main PC brand being Prius.”
The Beeb reports, “‘We want to develop new computers for use in the broadcasting industry, which is becoming more digitised,’ said a spokesman.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Sheesh, that’s like deciding to focus on developing MP3 players and an online media store. We predict failure for Hitachi’s new priority since, for good reason, the majority of computers we see in use in the broadcasting industry are Apple Macs.
They made a hybrid computer?
Oh, yeah. Windows.
So it was powered by electricity and manure…..
Fuckin BBC, can’t stand em.
mark.ward01@bbc.co.uk
This ididot is a ‘reporter’ for the ‘Technology’ Department. Drop him a line!
More blood on the iPod click-wheel…
Hitachi should stick to making hard drives and power tools and the zillion other things they make.
http://www.hitachi.com/products/index.html
All your Hitachi’s are belong to us!!!!!
Yo, Hitachi, one step at a time! First focus on making reliable hard drives, will ya!
Eighth largest computer maker in Japan? What’s to scale back, there?
The adjective “eighth-largest” is utterly d*mning with faint praise. Hitachi’s readjustment is typical of large firms, who branch out into anything and everything just because they can. They’re learning what Microsoft has yet to learn.
We predict failure for Hitachi’s new priority since, for good reason, the majority of computers we see in use in the broadcasting industry are Apple Macs.
Predict all you want based upon what you see now
But we need POWERFUL CPU muscle for rendering. Windows has more developers on it’s side to provide us with software which will allow us to hook up a Hitachi branded Cell processor farm.
Even Pixar once used Linux on a PC render farm when the Apple Macs were only PowerPC processors.
So take a lesson here, we need powerful processors, like the Cell and Apple doesn’t offer a solution somebody else like Hitachi and Microsoft devlopers will.
Hitachi made PCs?
Toby,
Two things…
Firstly, however much coffee you’re drinking, I want you to cut it by around 50%.
Secondly, what – in this unbelievably innocuous retread of a press release – has caused you to get your underwear in such a knot.
Japan? Yeah right! Apple Inc. will dominate all your eletronic market now.
to: iMakeVideo
While you seem to know what you are talking about and are immersed in your craft, I ask you to think about this. Just the mac operating system alone warrants a second look at apple for price and quality. Plus the tight knit integration with it’s software apps for video. The network solutions for the mac aren’t strong enough?
The point I’m asking is, would you rather have Microsoft working on software or Apple?
I’d venture to say Apple software is far ahead. Thoughts?
-Pi
@ MCCFR
They are in bed with Micro$oft. THAT’s whhy I hate em!
being a person in the Industry, I have to say MDN, that’s not true. Apple is the largest in the Film/Cinema Industry at about 86%. WIndows are still number one in Broadcasting.
Actually, Hitachi Data Systems is a big player and competes with HP and F5 in storage area networks. However, I didn’t even know they manufactured PCs.
Yeah! One less computer brand built to run Windows. Of course now that they’re going to focus on Broadcasting they’ll help perpetuate the Windows only atmosphere there/here – Just what the Broadcast Industry needs – NOT.
I work in this industry and everyday is an uphill battle with dyed-in-the-wool IT folks who think the world’s going to crash into the sun if they can’t use Windows to do everything – and I mean everything. The entire production line is Macs, but we’re always having to jump through hoops to get the final product setup so that their Windows boxes will accept it.
The broadcast industry needs Hitachi (a MS “partner”) pushing their Windows only solutions like it needs a hole in the head.
Better headline: Another Beleaguered Microsoft Windows Partner Throws In The Towel
AT&T;. Compaq. E-machines. IBM. Packard-Bell. Gateway. Hitachi.
One by one, MS Windows partners are being bought just to stay alive, or throwing in the towel and exiting the business.
Anybody hear a Queen song playing??
Toby…
I can remember when some boffins from the BBC and what was Macromind (later Macromedia) developed a piece of software called MediaMaker. I think the BBC boffins were spun-out to what is now The Multimedia Corporation and some of them even landed up at Apple working on QuickTime and RoadPizza.
My point being that hating the BBC for the affiliations, agendas and prejudices of some of the current generation of Windows-loving staff makes little sense. If you go to the BBC’s Motion Gallery, you’ll see an affinity with QuickTime and H.264 which I actually think is more important at a global level than the narrow, parochial (UK-only) issue that is whether iPlayer is available on the Macintosh or not.
Please note that I’m not saying that it is not important, merely that it isn’t as important. The BBC’s Windows Media-based VoD strategy – as it stands – will be a failure (or at least not an optimal success) because it fails to recognise the way in which the BBC’s license payers consume TV or the devices on which they prefer to consume it. In a highly political organisation like the BBC (or any large enterprise), failure – no matter how partial – or criticism will render the managers in question open to scrutiny especially if the failure costs the corporation a significant amount of money in re-engineering.
As the current generation of managers depart – as is inevitable – and are replaced by (hopefully) more open minds and keener intellects, one can only hope that the new intake is encouraged to recognise the value of supporting standards-based technology as opposed to proprietary systems that favour a convicted monopolist and ignore a significant and valuable audience.