I n an interview with the Times of London, Pascal Cagni, Appleis head executive in Europe, said that lackluster Mac sales during the just-reported September quarter was merely a blip before the introduction of the new iMac. According to Mr. Cagni, the biggest problem Apple has with the new units is keeping up with demand. From the article:
The growth of the iPod threatens to put Appleis original computer business in the shade. The latest quarterly results were unimpressive, with declining revenues from the iMac desktop model and the iBook and PowerBook laptops. This rather contradicted what Tim Cook, Appleis head of sales and operations, told The Sunday Times in September, when he said the Mac business was doing "very, very well."
Cagni suggested this was a blip before the introduction of the new iMac -- a beautifully sleek machine, with the computer mounted behind the screen in a box only two inches thick, that has been greeted with rave reviews. As with the mini iPod and its fashionable PowerBook laptops, Apple has struggled to keep up with the interest from customers. "The biggest problem we have is meeting demand," conceded Cagni.
The full article focuses more on Appleis iPod and iTunes Music Store (iTMS), with the above quote coming from the end of the two page article. Other subjects covered include the fact that the UK has become the iPodis strongest European market, Appleis efforts to land indie labels in the UK, and other UK-centric issues. We recommend it as an interesting read.