A survey of 402 Japanese internet users aged 20 to 49 conducted by a company called iSHARE suggests that less than a tenth of the market is interested in buying an iPhone. iPhone 3G is set to debut in Japan and about six dozen other countries starting July 11.

The survey was conducted shortly after SoftBank Mobile announced it would offer the iPhone in Japan, but two days before the Worldwide Developer Conference announcement of the iPhone 3G. How that skews the results, I'm not sure.

Of the people surveyed, 36 said they were planning to purchase an iPhone. iSHARE determined, based on other questions it asked, that the iPhone's non-replaceable battery could be weakening purchasing intent.

[Via TechOn]

Rubicon Consulting recently published a survey (PDF) from a selected group of 460 iPhone owners. Here is a summary of the results:

• 80% of iPhone owners said they were "satisfied" with the device
• 72% of users said they use the iPhone at least once a day for e-mail
• 55% of those surveyed said that the iPhone has increased their mobile browsing
• Almost half of the owners changed their carrier
  
• 40% of those that switched, switched from a smartphone device
  
• 1/3 of iPhone owners carry 2 phones
• 13% of iPhone owners surveyed have unlocked iPhones
• 1 out of 10 users reported "hand pain" after use
• 1 out of 5 iPhones were purchased as a gift

Only 20% of the users surveyed said that they had both an iPod and Mac; while only 5% said they had had a Mac and no iPod. Half of iPhone owners are under 30 years of age and students took up 16% of iPhone usage. While not surprising, the most desired new feature is applications and Exchange support. iPhone owners are of course paying more for their monthly phone bill -- the average phone bill before iPhone purchase was around $78/mo. and after purchase was around $97/mo.

You can read the full survey by downloading the published survey from Rubicon Consulting.

[via MacRumors]

Oh my. There's nothing we blog monkeys like more than casting our minds forward to the next greatest thing. Now that Leopard is about here and soon to be common place, what's next? What's Apple's codename for Mac OS X 10.6? You know it's already in development. So what do you TUAW readers think the next great codename will be? Let us know in this unspun poll.

I'm a little skeptical about this one (who is the Eagle Research Group, and why are they polling people about iPhones and Zunes?) but a new study from the ERG says that a whopping 70% of Zune users are actually planning a switch to the iPhone. And perhaps even more revealing, 36% of Zune users say they never would have bought one if they'd have known Apple would produce something as "ground-breaking" as the iPhone (well, duh).

Of course it's not news that the Zune sucks, and it's definitely not news that the iPhone is a revolutionary little device. But it's an interesting idea that while the Zune has been fighting to stay alive ever since introduction, it might be the iPhone that actually puts it out of its misery.

The social hasn't been quelled yet, though. Of the Zune users keeping their phone, 43% say the reason they don't want an iPhone was the lack of storage space for music (which is kind of an obvious conclusion when you're comparing a phone and a music player, innit?). And 22% of those sticking to the Zune say the reason for doing so was simply an overall dislike of "all things Apple."

[via DF]

In a completely unsurprising survey, employed adult mobile-phone users who already own iPods are the most likely demographic to consider purchasing an iPhone. Cellular News reports that 20% of those adults surveyed would consider purchasing an iPhone. That number rose to nearly 50% when iPod owners were questioned.

On the whole, Nokia emerged as the clear leader among the "next purchase" crowd. Also, more than half of the European consumers surveyed expressed an interest in mobile TV, particularly for sports matches and reality shows. Consumers requested both a watch-able form factor, which the iPhone looks ready to deliver, and long battery life, which is still unknown as far as the iPhone is concerned.

You have had a day or so to think about the new, and colorful, iPod shuffles. Sure, none of the specs have changed but don't they all look so pretty?

Our question to you, dear readers, is a simple. If you were going to buy an iPod shuffle today what color would you pick? Call me a stick in the mud, but I think that the gray one still looks best.

According to MetaFacts 2006 Home PC Brand Profile Report, 46% of Apple's base is over the age of 55, compared with 25.2% of other platforms. The Home PC Brand Profile Report is "one of a series of summary reports on specific topics based on the results of MetaFacts' 2006 Technology User Profile (TUP) study, which reveal the changing patterns of technology adoption and use in American households and businesses."

Dan Ness of MetaFacts says "Apple can claim long-time loyalists, but its future among the young technoliterati is an interesting dynamic, with a higher-than-average share of US home's primary PC users falling into this age group."

I say "With age, comes wisdom."

Other interesting tidbits in the report include the fact that Apple users are buying more portables than desktops, even as their primary home computer, which isn't as surprising as it used to be. Why tether yourself to a desk when the couch is so much more comfy?

All you have to do now is teach Grandma that the Internet and the application used to browse the Internet are not one and the same and you'll both be set.

TUAW's nerdy (yet surprisingly well off) little sister Blogging Stocks has a great roundup of articles regarding a recent ABI Research survey that purportedly showed 58% of consumers would choose a Microsoft Zune over an iPod. In the study, people were shown an image of the Zune, and then asked how likely they would be to purchase the device over another music player. According to Blogging Stocks, ABI mentions only that it compared the picture of the Zune to "other competitive media players," with no specific mention that the iPod was actually given as an option.

As soon as I saw the news about this, I was immediately suspicious. The fact that Apple essentially has control over the MP3 player market combined with early reports from multiple tech journalists that the Zune is flawed in more ways than one, led many to believe that perhaps the ABI hadn't been truly upfront when conducting their survey and reporting the results. I too would choose a Zune over, say, a Creative device; it would probably be a neat little device to hack; but that doesn't mean that I, nor likely 80% of the population would choose the brown device from Redmond over our beloved iPods.

I've had keyboards and mice on my mind for the last few days so I thought I'd see what you all are using. To get the poll rolling I asked a few of my colleagues here at TUAW HQ to chime in, too.

David Chartier:
iMac - Apple Pro Keyboard with a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 4.0. Most comfortable.mouse.ever. Sometimes I whip out the Mighty Mouse for multimedia/time-based work though.
MacBook - built in keyboard and usually the touchpad, though I bring along the Mighty Mouse from my iMac mainly because it packs in a bag easily.

Alex Wollenschlaeger:
I use the keyboard on my 12" PowerBook (one of the main reasons I got another PowerBook over a MacBook) and a Microsoft optical mouse. I've used other mice in the past and I've always come back to Microsoft ones. They just feel right. I carry it around with me everywhere because I don't like trackpads too much. Though the new scrolling feature goes a long way to rectifying that.

Scott McNulty:
I use the built-in in stuff on my MacBook. On my iMac I have Apple's included keyboard and a Logitech S 530 Laser mouse.

Dan Lurie:
When I'm not out and about with my PowerBook, it sits on an iCurve at my desk and I use the standard white Apple keyboard and Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer (which I love, but I need to get in a wireless
version). I'm actually in the market for a new keyboard due some wrist pain I've been having, so I've been looking at the GoldTouch Mac from KeyOvation.

As for me? On my home and office desktops I use the Matias OS X keyboard. The symbols are great for me since I always forget where they are. The extra control key and the caps-lock key being out of my way is a blessing and I really love the action on it. I'm a big fan of tactile keys - and this one is quieter than a typical tactile keyboard, which makes hubby happy, but it's still "clicky" enough to make me happy. My mouse is a 5-button, rockin' tilt-scroll Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer, which I would be lost without. When I'm on the PowerBook I generally stick with the built-in keyboard and trackpad since I'm typically on-the-go and it's just easier that way.

Hmmm... 4 out of 5 bloggers agree that what Microsoft lacks in the OS department they make up for with their mice, which rule. We don't agree on much around here so that's about as resounding of an endorsement as you're going to get from us.

Now it's your turn -- What mouse and keyboard are you using with your Mac(s) these days?

While the Mac community anxiously awaits a much-rumored and much-needed Finder update in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Simplehelp decided to survey the landscape of 3rd party alternatives for a temporary fix. A total of 10 Finder replacements are reviewed, with a chart that rounds up the basics, and plenty of screenshots to accompany each app.

While Path Finder is obviously one of the reigning kings of this genre, Simplehelp found some pretty unique - though not always functioning - takes on the file management paradigm, all with significant pros and cons to consider.

While I haven't put all these apps to the test recently, I've given many of them a spin at least in the last year or two, and I can't say I'm optimistic for a 3rd party's ability to replace the Finder any time soon. Apple seems pretty intent on locking down their (arguably aging) Finder, and it seems we're all stuck with it until those rumors of a revamp come true.

Douglas McIntyre over at Blogging Stocks posed an interesting question the other day, in light of the current issues surrounding Apple's option back-dating. If it were discovered that Steve Jobs played a key role in the option mishap and he was forced to resign as CEO, who would/should be his replacement?

Here are the candidates McIntyre suggests as possibilities:

• Phil Schiller -- He is the long-time head of global product marketing. He has been with the company since 1997 and has been critical in most product launches. (Update: Bob points out in the comments below that Phil started at Apple in 1987, then left for a few years during Spindler and Amelio's tenure, then returned in 1997)
  
• Tim Cook -- The company's COO. He had a long career at IBM. He also heads the Mac division.
• Tony Fadell -- One of the fathers of the iPod; he has an engineering background. He is a former executive at Philips Electronics.
• William Campbell -- One of Apple's leading directors. He has run a large public software company, Intuit.
• Jerome York -- Although he is over 70, York has experience operating troubled companies. He was CFO of IBM and a member of that company's board. He is also on the GM board. (Update: Alex alerts us in the comments that as of last week York is no longer on the GM Board)
  
• Jim Allchin -- Head of platforms and services at Microsoft. He intends to retire with the the launch of Vista. Allchin has an engineering background.
• Sue Decker -- The highly regarded CFO of Yahoo! She has a Wall St. background and now runs several key divisions at Yahoo!
• John Thompson -- The highly-regarded CEO of Symantec, has a background in running a large software company and is well liked on Wall Street.

Perhaps some of you would like to weigh in?

It seems like even Microsoft's marketing department knows a thing or two about nerdy UI stuff, as a recent survey that offers copies of Vista Beta on CD asks what the fancy new 'let's make everything 50% transparent because transparency is teh r0x0r' effects in Vista are called. Wouldn't you know - Aqua is one of the multiple answers! Right up there along with 'Aero' (the correct choice) and 'Zero' (funny how they rhyme). I would honestly love to see the stats on these test results.

Fortunately, Microsoft also allows Vista beta hopefuls to share how the four-years-late OS truly makes them feel with another question: "Windows Vista brings _____ to your world" has three options: Confusion, Creativity and Clarity (nevermind the large Vista banner at the top of the survey page - pictured). Be careful how you answer kids; you do want that copy of the clarifying (hint hint) Windows Vista beta, right?

Right?

Thanks Ety

I couldn't resist the headline, but can you blame me? This tech stuff can be a doozie on consumers, but it seems that Apple just received the highest rankings in a customer support satisfaction survey released by the ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index). This 2006 second quarter report found Apple's industry-leading satisfaction rating on the rise to 83%, up 2.5% from last year (funny: in my student adventures, an 83% leading the class is typically considered a bad thing). The industry overall saw a slow increase in satisfaction, with Dell leaping over 5% to their 78% mark, and even HP and (surprisingly) Gateway seeing mild improvements.

Check out the full list of results - which includes plenty of other industries like automotive and even search engines - for more details of which companies are putting smiles on their customer's faces.

This past Sunday I ran a survey to see what y'all thought of iPod FM transmitters - the good, the bad and the ugly. I figured that since I weeded through all the comments, I should let you guys know whether you gave this particular category of iPod accessories a thumbs up or down.

The greater majority of you really weren't that fond of FM transmitters, the two largest reasons being signal unreliability and overall audio quality. Many of the FM transmitter haters recommended going with solutions like cassette adapters, FM modulators or a full-on dedicated stereo with iPod-friendly inputs.

Among the still-healthy pro-FM transmitter crowd however, there were three clear favorites: Kensington, Griffin and Monster. This was really helpful in narrowing down my options, and I think I'm going to do some more digging on those and what all this FM stuff is about before dropping another ~ $70-80 or more on something like this.

Ultimately, since my wife always beats me to the Matrix anyway (and she already made me sleep on the couch for dropping $80 on an iPod accessory), I opted to go with a $15 cassette adapter for now (on a side note: it's hilarious what accessory makers can get away with by slapping iPod branding on cassette tape adapters these days). I know, I know: a cheap and simple solution for all the awesome feedback you readers offered, but until AOL (remember: they bought Weblogs, Inc. last year. You're reading an AOL blog! Mwahaha!) sends the 6-figure job offer my way, I'll have to wait on the pimped out touch-screen iPod + Car Borg™ adapter (heck AOL, I'll even take a 5-figure job!). When I do get around to finding that perfect iPod/Borg/accessory thingy, trust me: you'll be the first to know. Resistance, after all, is futile.

We've been hearing talk about a completely redesigned Finder in Leopard as far back as October of '05. Granted, all that stuff is just rumors and wishful thinking but it is probably the one feature throughout the majority of the Mac community that everyone nearly 100% agreed was outdated and in need of a major, major update, sometimes even a rewrite.

So what happened to it? The keynote's up, and as I cruise through it to verify, the only time the word 'Finder' seems to be mentioned is when talking about something you can do with a different app. There wasn't a peep about a Finder update, or even a feature bump.

The one saving grace that we're going to have to pin our hopes on is the Finder being one of those top secret features Steve said they couldn't even preview today. You can bet the bank if there is a Finder update coming, it isn't in the Leopard previews that are being handed out to developers today. Could we still see a Finder update? Well, let's just hope either that Apple schedules another flashy event before Leopard is released in Spring, or that Steve's Macworld Keynote has even more in store for this next installment of Mac OS X.