[262] in bcs-newton
Newton MessagePad Sales Exceed 50,000
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Albert Willis)
Mon Oct 4 14:05:10 1993
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 93 13:59:07 EST
From: awillis@MIT.EDU (Albert Willis)
To: bcs-newton@posse.mit.edu, newton_pda_group@bcsmac.bcs.org
Newton MessagePad Sales Exceed 50,000
Contact:
Emma Bufton
Regis McKenna Inc.
(408) 974-1856
Newton MessagePad Sales Exceed 50,000
CUPERTINO, California--September 30, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc. today
announced that 50,000 Newton MessagePad communications assistants
have been sold in the US and in Europe. The MessagePad is one of the
fastest selling products that Apple has ever introduced. This strong
initial sales success in the early weeks underscores widespread
customer and industry enthusiasm for the product.
The Newton MessagePad is a handheld communications assistant that
allows people to gather, manage, and share information with
tremendous ease and spontaneity through the many communications
methods available to people today. The MessagePad was launched on
August 2, 1993 at the MacWorld Expo in Boston and was piloted in the
Boston and New York areas during August. It shipped nationwide on
Labor Day, and was introduced in the UK on September 16, 1993 at the
Live '93 Consumer Electronics Show in London.
"The Newton MessagePad has hit the ground running. The sales
figures indicate that the market is ready for innovative technology and
for this new product category that the MessagePad represents," said
Gaston Bastiaens, vice president and general manager of Apple's
Personal Interactive Electronics (PIE) division.
Computer retailers nationwide are confirming customers' enthusiasm
for the MessagePad and its accessories. "Newton is one of the
fastest selling new products in our history, and customer
satisfaction is very high. People are interested in coming back for
accessories and software. We are seeing a lot of non-computer buyers
purchasing Newton," said Larry Reich, Macintosh division manager of
J&R Computer World.
"The Newton MessagePad is definitely the best product in this new
PDA category. Since its introduction, sales of the MessagePad have
exceeded our expectations. Not only is the recognition architecture
superior to that of other products we have seen, but also the unit is
much more convenient to carry around," said Tom Jacobs, president of
Computer Town. "We view the MessagePad as a real opportunity for
everyone."
"There is great excitement level from our sales staff. We are very
pleased with sales and we are placing orders for more product to
support our demand. The Newton MessagePad is really the first
product in the new PDA/mobile communications category, and we are
convinced that this product will change the way we communicate with
each other," said Anne Fleagle, senior buyer for home office
products, Best Buy Co.
"Micro Center is seeing strong customer interest in the Newton. We
are very pleased with our initial sales of the MessagePad and its
accessories," Jack McPeek, Macintosh merchandising manager for Micro
Center, Inc. said. "We do anticipate good sales through the fourth
quarter, especially as additional applications become available."
Licensees and Partners
Industry support for the Newton platform continues to gain momentum.
At the recent UK launch of the Newton MessagePad, licensees and
partners, which include Alcatel, British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom
and GEC Plessey Semiconductors announced their support of the Newton
platform. These companies join Ameritech, ARM, Bell South, Cirrus
Logic, LSI Logic, Matsushita Electronics, Motorola, Sharp,
Siemens/Rolm and US West in the growing family of companies which
have lined up behind Apple's Newton technology.
Major Corporations
The Newton MessagePad has already received notable endorsements form
some major institutions and corporations. Coca-Cola, Monsanto,
American Express, ProMED and others are implementing plans to
incorporate Newton technologies into their information systems
strategies.
Developers and Applications
In excess of 1,500 Newton development systems (NTK) have been
sold throughout the world. Since the Boston introduction many
developers have already announced and demonstrated applications for
the Newton MessagePad. These are designed to address the user's
needs in areas such as cell-based calculation, presentation, mobile
communication, time and billing, expense management, and
sophisticated calculation.
Connectivity
The Newton Connection Kit for Macintosh, which Apple shipped earlier
in September, enables information to be synchronized and updated
automatically between the Macintosh and the Newton MessagePad when
the two are connected. Newton developers are provided with interfaces
which enable them to take advantage of the "Smart Synchronization"
technology employed by the kit, allowing third party Newton
applications to have full connectivity with the desktop environment.
Apple intends to introduce the Newton Connection Kit for Windows in
the near future.
The MessagePad is the first in a family of products based on Newton
technology: others are intended to be introduced in the future by
both Apple and its licensees.
-30-
Apple, the Apple logo and Macintosh are registered trademarks, and
Newton, MessagePad, are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
END
