Apple Computer announced today its sales are way down - especially in Japan - and that the bottom line suffered another big hit as a result.
Reporting revenues of US$1.6 billion in its fourth fiscal quarter, the company said today revenues were down 30 percent from the year ago quarter, and 7 percent from last quarter. Sales in Japan were down 50 percent from last year, the company said.
Perhaps coincidentally, two execs with responsibility for the company's overseas activities hit the door. Apple said senior vice president of international sales Dave Manovich and senior vice president for worldwide operations James McCluney both resigned today.
While Apple's $161 million net loss was puffed up by restructuring costs and Apple's acquisition of clonemaker Power Computing, it would have still registered a $25 million loss without such special charges, a company press release said. Last year Apple reported a $25 million profit in the same quarter.
"We feel optimistic about next year," chief financial officer Fred Anderson said in a conference call, adding that "the return to sustainable profitability is our number one goal."
