P.M. BRIEFING : Apple to Focus on Japan Tastes

Apple Computer Inc. will step up product development in Japan in the 1990s to customize its computers to local tastes and tap local technology developments in what is now its fastest-growing market, Apple Chairman John Sculley said today.

He declined to comment on reports that Apple and Sony Corp. were jointly developing a notebook-sized personal computer to be marketed within the year.

“We have a number of different relationships with Sony. We expect to continue and probably have even more in the future,” Sculley told reporters.

Sculley said Apple is developing a product for the fast-growing notebook segment of the personal computer market, but declined to say when it would be ready.

“The fair rap on us is that we’re late (with a notebook) but when we come out with our notebook products, I don’t think anybody will be disappointed,” he said.