The Toshiba and Sony computers they sell in Japan are miles ahead better (and of wider variety) than what they sell at Best Buy in the US. That said, they are all way overpriced. Also, there are smaller local OEMs that sell their products for much less, but almost no one outside of Japan would know about it (For example, I'm using a japanese "Mouse Computer" brand laptop). So, a lot of the best Japanese stuff usually stays in Japan. Like, how many people outside of Japan would think that Fujitsu has just as big a lineup of laptops/nettops as Sony or Toshiba? You'd have to be in Japan to see it for yourself.
As for netbooks: I don't know how netbooks could possibly convince the japanese consumer, as their cellphones practically do everything a netbook can--and they're smaller, and more customizable. Hell, just passing your cellphone through a sensor pays for your subway ticket! When a netbook can do that, that's when the Japanese will buy one!
The Cobra Tag may help you win that losing battle, acting as a Bluetooth device that attaches to your key ring and connects to your phone, it gives you the opportunity to find the missing item if it's less than 30 feet away.
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The Toshiba and Sony computers they sell in Japan are miles ahead better (and of wider variety) than what they sell at Best Buy in the US. That said, they are all way overpriced. Also, there are smaller local OEMs that sell their products for much less, but almost no one outside of Japan would know about it (For example, I'm using a japanese "Mouse Computer" brand laptop). So, a lot of the best Japanese stuff usually stays in Japan. Like, how many people outside of Japan would think that Fujitsu has just as big a lineup of laptops/nettops as Sony or Toshiba? You'd have to be in Japan to see it for yourself.
As for netbooks: I don't know how netbooks could possibly convince the japanese consumer, as their cellphones practically do everything a netbook can--and they're smaller, and more customizable. Hell, just passing your cellphone through a sensor pays for your subway ticket! When a netbook can do that, that's when the Japanese will buy one!