HP unveils its HP branded iPod in both 20GB and 40GB sizes

August 30, 2004

While there are many audio and
video portable device manufactures all aiming to compete with the iPod, HP had
decided back in January that rather than try developing yet another portable
audio product, they
decided to make a licensing deal with Apple to sell HP branded iPods.
Now, HP has now unveiled two models that are replicas of Apple's current 20GB
and 40GB models, but with the HP brand on them. HP calls these the "Apple
iPod from HP".

HP expects its iPod to do well
with both the Apple iPod being the world's best selling MP3 player and HP being
the world's largest printer maker and 2nd largest PC maker. The HP
models are priced the same as Apple's current price at $ 299 for the 20GB
iPod and $ 399 for the 40GB iPod and are expected to start shipping early
September. In order the keep Apples' 'clean iPod style', HP has decided
not to stick a blue logo on it like with its other products. As agreed
with Apple, they are already shipping iTunes software featuring
the iTunes store with all of its computers.

SAN
JOSE, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod
portable music player, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership
it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.

HP is now taking orders for the player, which it has
dubbed the "Apple iPod from HP." The product is a replica of Apple's
latest models of the popular white 20-gigabyte and 40-gigabyte iPods _ but
carries the HP brand instead.

The licensing deal, which was announced this past
January, is a break from Apple's usual isolationist stance and should help
it capitalize on the broad retail reach of HP, the world's largest
computer printer maker and second largest PC maker.

For HP, working with Apple, the leader in portable
music players and online music store sales, gives it a quick foothold in
the digital music space.

"Clearly Apple has done a great job of making the
iPod popular, but we have a wide distribution globally, so it'll really
help in driving up the volume," Vyomesh Joshi, an HP executive vice
president, said Friday.

The price will be $ 299 for the 20-gigabyte model, or
$ 399 for the 40-gigabyte model, matching Apple's current prices. The
players will be available in early September _ the same month HP will
release about two dozen other new consumer products, including a 42-inch
plasma television and an all-in-one home theater projector, which were
also announced Friday. The efforts are part of HP's expanding strategy to
become a household, rather than just an office, name by capitalizing on
what they say is a reputation for quality products.

Read the full article
here.

While HP has appeared to
encourage its customers to be creative as even suggested by its logo, they are
on the other hand committed to enforcing copy protection measures upon its
customers as seen in
this previous article. In this case, it looks like HP itself was not
being too creative by going against creating its own portable audio player, but
instead made a license agreement with Apple to sell iPods under the HP brand
name.

Anyway, it will be interesting
to see how well it catches on. The customer will likely not be any worse
off or more out of pocket purchasing a HP branded iPod over an Apple version or
vice versa, since both versions offer the same features, work with
iTunes and are identically priced.

Source: The Porterville Recorder