Apple Japan to boost marketshare with iPod shuffle

It sounds as though things have changed a lot in Japan since I left in 2002 after having lived there since 1986. Just three years ago, cable Internet was virtually nonexistent there and DSL speeds were only a fraction of what North America had. I worked at Akihabara, the electronics district, which was always very busy, but the percentage of households with computers in Japan was low compared to the rest of the developed world, and the percentage of Internet-connected households was only a tiny fraction of that. Now, though, it sounds as though Japanese households capable of converting or downloading music files has significantly increased. To be fair, though, MP3 caught on in Japan before most Americans had heard of it. Music-related technology has always been advanced there, even when computer technology was slow. Most programmers in Japan are from mainland China.

I didn't think the iPod shuffle would be appealing at all to the Japanese, but when you think of how stylish it is for most young businessmen in Tokyo to wear their keys, photo id cards, and cell phones around their necks, the idea of having iPod shuffle on a lanyard is perfect for them. It seemed as though the iPod mini was tailor-made for Japanese girls because it is exactly the kind of design and colors and size that would appeal to them more than any other demographic group anywhere in the world. BTW, when I wore my keys and cell phone around my neck, everyone in Canada assumed that I was working at a retail store, and people just laughed at me when I walked around like that anywhere outside of a shopping mall.

I think the Japanese started this trend (of wearing keys and cellphones around the neck) and people in Asia (Hong Kong, China, Taiwan etc) started to follow.
Nothing against them but it does look stupid. Wearing IDs/keycards around the neck has it's practical reason, but I don't see any convenience/comfort in wearing keys(!) and phones !! It's much more practical to wear gadgets around your belt ---> which is considered uber geek/out-of-style in Asia :D

in the next 12 months? They've been saying that for a long time. Gitter done!