Apple and the rest of the world

eurochildeurochild
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
While I love my Mac and the entire iLife package, there is one issue that really keeps bugging me: many of the features in iTunes and iPhoto simply aren't available for non-U.S. or Canadian users. I live in Australia and here we have no iTunes Music Store, no ordering prints of any kind... there is almost zero advertising (save for some iPod ads in some magazines)... it's like it's only the North American market that Apple "bother" with.



So does this really bug any other people? Does it affect you too or is it just me? Is it even all that important or do I just sound like a little whine-bag? (er - on second thought, don't answer that question...)
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Whine-bag...definitely.

    Seriously though, your right, Apple doesn't pay much attention to all ya'll down under because there isn't a big market there. Apple isn't entirely focused on North America though, they hit Japan and Europe pretty hard with ads and whatnot. However, they focus most of their marketing money on North America, where the biggest market is. It makes sense.



    Edit: I meant to put a after the "Whine-bag" thing. I was just poking fun at his obviously rhetorical question.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    Whine-bag...definitely.

    Seriously though, your right, Apple doesn't pay much attention to all ya'll down under because there isn't a big market there. Apple isn't entirely focused on North America though, they hit Japan and Europe pretty hard with ads and whatnot. However, they focus most of their marketing money on North America, where the biggest market is. It makes sense.



    I disagree. Apple should push its products everywhere or risk being seen as a U.S.-only product. This would, in my view, ultimately doom Apple even in the U.S.



    I think that Apple has been on a really good tear with new software and hardware over the last year and now is the time to take advantage of this globally.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    Whine-bag...definitely.

    Seriously though, your right, Apple doesn't pay much attention to all ya'll down under because there isn't a big market there. Apple isn't entirely focused on North America though, they hit Japan and Europe pretty hard with ads and whatnot. However, they focus most of their marketing money on North America, where the biggest market is. It makes sense.



    I disagree...



    The US is a large market, but so is Europe, Asia, and most of the world.



    Sit on a tac DMBand0026. He is not a "Whine-bag"...



    I would like to see Apple explore a bit with non-US marketplaces... expand a little more...



    If Canada had an iTMS, I would buy...
  • Reply 4 of 21
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    I agree with you Chinney. All my post was saying is that right now, Apple has a solid market in North America (this can be argued...but that's another thread altogether). I hope to see them go after the rest of the world, but let's face it, they don't have the $$ that some companies do to go after a global market.
  • Reply 5 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    DMBand0026 you are a hypocrite.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by \\/\\/ickes

    DMBand0026 you are a hypocrite.



    Why? Because I made a mistake? I didn't mean to come off as malicious to EuroChild, but that is the way my original post was taken. Get off my back about it, it was a typo, one that didn't do anything to hurt you. At least I posted a serious reply to his question and didn't just make fun of him.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    Why? Because I made a mistake? I didn't mean to come off as malicious to EuroChild, but that is the way my original post was taken. Get off my back about it, it was a typo, one that didn't do anything to hurt you. At least I posted a serious reply to his question and didn't just make fun of him.



    Ummm no...



    You are a hypocrite because you agreed with Chinney dissagreeing with your first post. Maybe you need to look up hypocrite, because it has nothing to do with you insulting EuroChild, or your "mistake".
  • Reply 8 of 21
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by \\/\\/ickes

    Ummm no...



    You are a hypocrite because you agreed with Chinney dissagreeing with your first post. Maybe you need to look up hypocrite, because it has nothing to do with you insulting EuroChild, or your "mistake".



    If you'll look at my post again you'll notice that I never said that Apple shouldn't push their products in places other than North America, I just stated that they don't. I didn't know why you were calling me a hypocrite, but I didn't appreciate it.

    And "way to go" to \\/\\/ickes and I, we have now managed to completely ruin two threads within the past 15 minutes.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    I know!



    *Gives DMBand0026 high-five* 8)



    Maybe we can do a third before hours end?



    Anyway, you first said that it "makes sense" that Apple puts its focus on N.America, "where the biggest market is". Then Chinney dissagreed with you and said "Apple should push its products everywhere". Then you agreed with Chinny on that comment, meaning you dissagreed with your first post.



    So I still think your a hypocrite, but that's ok, I change my mind often too.



    Now which thread do we hit next?
  • Reply 10 of 21
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Just one more to clarify something for \\/\\/ickes...I said that it makes sense that Apple goes after their biggest market with the most advertising money. You can't disagree with that. What I didn't say is that Apple should only go after their biggest markets. I hope to see Apple products around the world, I never wanted to see them go with only North America and Europe as their only markets.



    By the way...I think we should go after one of the 7 or so threads about colored Apple products that is going on in FH right now...one of those needs a lock and I think we are the guys who could get the job done.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    Just one more to clarify something for \\/\\/ickes...I said that it makes sense that Apple goes after their biggest market with the most advertising money. You can't disagree with that. What I didn't say is that Apple should only go after their biggest markets. I hope to see Apple products around the world, I never wanted to see them go with only North America and Europe as their only markets.





    A cultural misunderstanding maybe?



    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    By the way...I think we should go after one of the 7 or so threads about colored Apple products that is going on in FH right now...one of those needs a lock and I think we are the guys who could get the job done. [/B]



    Agreed... but not tonight... I am tired and want to sleep.

    Lets say around dinner tommorw we can put an end to that color PowerBook thread... pfft...
  • Reply 12 of 21
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    I think it would be very nice if there was an enhanced parity between the North American market and the markets to which many of the rest of you belong. It would be advantageous to the company. I think all can recognize that it's a logistical nightmare for any company, especially for one that's not really that big.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    We get the point guys. Back on topic, please.







    *clicks iTMS in iTunes*



    *weeps openly*
  • Reply 14 of 21
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    For the record, I do not consider it hypocritical for DMBand to have...er...'clarified' his original post in reply to my comment. His first post could have been less categorical, but which of us can't say the same thing about many of our own comments.



    One additional comment: "North America" is referred to generically as the place that Apple does do a good job pushing their product. I am not sure that is entirely accurate. My impression is that Apple does not do nearly as good a job in Canada as in the U.S. No iTMS here. No Canadian television or magazine ads that I have seen (although we do see the ones on American TV and in the flood of imported magazines). Not as much available directly from the Canadian online Apple Store. Far fewer resellers (proportionally) of Apple products and Apple-compatible software.



    Not all of this is entirely Apple's fault - other business partners have to dance with them, but I think that Apple really does have to try a bit harder.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    digitaldavedigitaldave Posts: 445member
    As \\/\\/ickes said, the US may well be a big market, but there are other big markets around the world. If they developed further in these markets, it would help raise Apple's market share .



    Here in Europe (and in other parts of the world ), we can't just walk in to an Apple store, and we can't buy from the iTMS. However, I suspect that things are starting to change - there's an Apple store opening in Japan, and online iPhoto album ordering will soon be available in Europe. Small steps, granted, but in the right direction .



    Dave.
  • Reply 16 of 21
    the generalthe general Posts: 649member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by \\/\\/ickes

    DMBand0026 you are a hypocrite.



    No, he isnt, you just can't read..

  • Reply 17 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by The General

    No, he isnt, you just can't read..





    I just finished with DMBand0026... we worked it out... and now you start this?



    Go forth and multiply yourself!
  • Reply 18 of 21
    soulcrushersoulcrusher Posts: 587member
    look at NEC.



    you don't need the U.S. to make huge revenues.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    talksense101talksense101 Posts: 1,738member
    Someone in Apple marketing needs to stop watching CNN which potrays America as the "world".



    On a note, I had a friend buy an iPod from the US. It was cheaper than buying it from the local Apple reseller even if I assume a 40% tax. So I ended up getting a iPod manufactured in Taiwan, shipped to the US and then bought back to my country for less money than the mofos shipping it directly to me from Taiwan. Can we say retarded? At least the device enjoyed a round trip around planet earth...



    Apple can KMA if they pretend to know anything about global marketting.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    merovingianmerovingian Posts: 436member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by EuroChild

    While I love my Mac and the entire iLife package, there is one issue that really keeps bugging me: many of the features in iTunes and iPhoto simply aren't available for non-U.S. or Canadian users. I live in Australia and here we have no iTunes Music Store, no ordering prints of any kind... there is almost zero advertising (save for some iPod ads in some magazines)... it's like it's only the North American market that Apple "bother" with.



    So does this really bug any other people? Does it affect you too or is it just me? Is it even all that important or do I just sound like a little whine-bag? (er - on second thought, don't answer that question...)



    Hear hear.



    Apple have so much to offer the rest of the world, and for a company hell-bent on increasing their market share, they don't really seem to care that much. (I know Jobs has said that customer satisfaction, etc. etc. are more important than market share, but it still matters). A 5% market share isn't that great, and I don't think it would take Apple Australia much, to get copies of the iPod ads, and a few others, and start shoving them on TV, (well maybe not TV), cinema, (apparently iPod ads show in some Aussie cinemas, but I've never seen them), bus-stops, billboards, etc...



    That fact remains ? some people I have spoken to didn't even know Apple still existed!!!



    It just makes you wonder.



    Apple HQ need to realise the following:

    US ~ 280,000,000 people.

    Earth - US = 6.3x10^9 people - 2.8x10^8 people.

    = 6 billion people approx.



    That's a lot more people to potentially convert, than 280 million.



    I guess common sense always prevails, (but when...?). m.
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