Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/10/15/quake_pushes_back_imacs_japanese/

Quake pushes back iMac's Japanese debut

Only standard iMac, iBook make it on time -- but in limited numbers

By Tony Smith

Posted in On-Prem, 15th October 1999 12:35 GMT

Apple has admitted it has been forced to delay the shipment of the latest version of the iMac in Japan. The company's Japanese subsidiary told the Nikkei newswire that it was working on the problem. This mere days after Apple Japan marketing director Naohisa Fukuda told the newswire: "[The iMacs] will all be in stores on 16 October without fail." So, instead of shipping the basic 350MHz iMac and the top-of-the-range 400MHz iMac DV Special Edition tomorrow, as scheduled, Apple will not make these machines available for at least two more weeks. And while the 400MHz standard iMac DV will make it to stores tomorrow, Nikkei sources claim it will be in so few numbers stocks will run out in less than a day. Sources also claimed that the would-be iBook (which is due to go on sale in Japan tomorrow too)buyers will not fare any better. The Apple spokesman did not specify the cause of the delay, but it's almost certainly the first tangible sign of the Taiwanese earthquake's effect on the Mac market. However, that should be the limit of the quake's effects -- according to Apple CFO Fred Anderson, "[Apple] lost one week of production with iBooks and iMacs in the September quarter". ® Related Stories Apple reverses CPU downgrade for existing orders Apple downgrades Power Mac CPUs -- but not their prices Apple Q3 profit down to $111m