Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!violet.berkeley.edu!izumi
From: izumi@violet.berkeley.edu (Izumi Ohzawa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Foriegn markets and Languages
Message-ID: <24220@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 10 May 89 00:44:26 GMT
References: <10459@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> <13209@swan.ulowell.edu>
Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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In article <13209@swan.ulowell.edu> sbrunnoc@hawk.ulowell.edu (Sean Brunnock) writes:
>   It is too my understanding that the Japanese are largely computer
>illiterate. Students use abacuses more than they use computers.

Geez, what's the basis of this?
Japan is the only country where NON-IBM PC compatible MS-DOS
machines can be found all over the place.
This indicates that, at least, there is a healthy market large
enough to sustain the non-US standard architecture.  How could
that happen in a largely computer illiterate place?

Abacuses are still popular probably sort-of as a "mental excercise",
as are calligraphy, piano, and violin lessens.

You should probably visit Akihabara district in Tokyo, where all kinds
of electronic parts/appliances, computers, other stuff are sold
with good price and wide selection.  You might check out how
diverse the age groups are of the people checking out the wares.
You can find kids in elementary school to 60-ish old men buying
LSI's.

>Furthermore, I simply don't see any Japanese or German computers where 
>I work. Do you know anyone who has purchased a Sony workstation?
>					Sean Brunnock

Izumi Ohzawa,  izumi@violet.berkeley.edu