Kobayashi-san, a Japanese coleague, recenty told me about the demise of the Apple’s authorized service center in Japan. Instead of having face-to-face service, Japanese Mac users must now send everything back to Apple for repair.
This letter is being printed verbatim (with minor typographic edits only) to avoid confusion from interpretation.
Dear Jason
Do you remember me? My name is Hiroshi kobayashi, who expalined you my protest 24 February 2001 in Makuhari.
I was surprised Mac Central (Mr. Dennis Sellers) wrote an article about me but it was an involuntary article.
I am afraid you will miss understanding my activity.
Dennis mixed up two kinds of activities (protest) so if you do not mind, please let me explain our activity.
We have two topics for protest; one is very fatal one the other is for only for PB2400 users.
The first is that we protest for Apple Japan to revive the face-to-face repair service. Untile last December 18th, We enjoyed it for 10 years. I will expalin the face-to-face repair service.
Apple Japan has sevice providers and if you purchase AppleCare insuarance, you can get your Mac repaired in front of you at the sevice provider’s shop which are located in each province all over Japan.
Of course Apple Japan has send back repair service too, but it takes 2-3 weeks. If the Service Provider has parts in stock, they can repair your Mac in 1-2 hours. It is for this reason that Many Japanese professional users prefer Mac to Wintel PCs.
When you have hardware trouble on your Mac, you can get it fixed in front of you. You can consult with the technician about how to fix it. You can keep the HD contents a secret.
As you know Apple have larger share in Japan compared with any other country. But Apple Japan suddenly abolished this useful system since 18th Last December. Now we have only send back repair sevice. It takes 2-3 weeks. I am using PB2400 on my job, I can not keep away my PB2400 so long time!!!
That why I stand up for gathering the users voice. We need the face to face repair sercice and several hours fix and consulting service. I announced on the web. In two months 400 people sent me their voice with long comment by 28th Feb.
If you can read Japanese Please read each lurch. (only Japanese). The title of my page PB2400 to Shinju- suru-sikanai-no-kai? This means “Do we have to die with PB2400, No more the next of PB2400?”
I took these voice on paper to Apple Japan’s AppleCare division on 16th Feb 2001. They Promised to me that they will answer somehow before the end of Feb (already passed). There are no answer now… unfortunately.
The other activity is promote and gathering voice of PB2400 users. PB2400 is the only one real portable (mobile) PowerBook (Under 2Kg). But Recently its battery is getting worse lasting only 30 minutes.
So a third party, Enax, gave us a service, PB2400 Battery refresh sercvice. Enax receive a PB2400 battery from a user, they open the battery and change the cells with new ones without any trouble. Enax is the famous litium ion battery manufactuer in Japan.
A Sony technician developed a Lithium Ion battery and established this third party. But Unfortunately they stopped this sevice now. Enax promised me that they will start the PB2400 Battery refresh service again if many users send email to Enax. So I announced to PB2400 users. Enax will start the refresh service again, if you send eamil to them.
Thank you very much for reading my Japanese – English I hope this e-mail will help your understanding Japanses users situations.
When you have any question ,Please do not be hesitated to ask any questions.
Your faithful
Hiroshi Kobayashi
[email protected]
Please the next of PB2400 A menber of MMUJ (Mobile Mac Users Japan)
A member of PowerBook Army
