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And While We’re on the Topic of the iPod …

The Wall Street Journal today has a short post (subscription required) about how “fun” technologies — iPods, iPhones, DVD players, digital cameras, etc. — are adopted by people around the world about 5 years faster (on average) than “work” technologies such as microwaves, dishwashers, and washing machines.

The WSJ article cites a recent study by Deepa Chandrasekaran of Lehigh University and Gerard J. Tellis of the University of Southern California of the takeoff rates — “the turning point between introduction and growth stages of the product life cycle” — of 16 new products in 31 countries.  Differences in economics and culture influenced the takeoff rate, but the authors concluded that “Japan is the most innovative country” because its time-to-takeoff rate is the lowest of all countries studied.  (Homer Simpson imitation: “Stupid Japanese, always winning things.”)  In fact, “If a manager wishes to launch a new product in an innovative and large market, then the best countries to launch in would be the Japan or the US.”  (Homer Simpson: “U-S-A, U-S-A!  Take that, Belgium!”)

There’s a lot more to the study than I can/want to cover here.  But I have one more comment.  If you gave me a choice between a microwave oven and an iPhone, I’d pick the microwave in a heartbeat.  Let’s see … only 67 minutes to lunch.  (Homer Simpson: drooling.)

Full post as published by Jenkins Webblits on October 23, 2008 (boomark / email).