Where are the hPods and Linux?

[pjkelnhofer]

This is basically a two part question:

1) Has anyone heard an update on the HP branded iPod coming out? I am constantly searching the web for stories, but the only thing I can ever find is always "later this year".

2) I recently read an article about HP trying to sell more computers with SuSE Linux pre-installed. If HP is supposed to put iTunes on the desktop of all it's computers could this means that iTunes for Linux could be in the future or am I just reading too much into things?

 

[johnnyjibbs]

I think the answer to the first part is "Summer", so any time soon, I expect.

iTunes on Linux? I doubt it. Linux is an upcoming threat to Mac OS and I can't see Apple supporting it. iTunes for Windows exists because that has the largest market for the music store, etc and it is generally acknowledged that Windows is *cough*, well, not that great, and that Mac OS is superior. (But some say Macs are "incompatible" *cough*).

I think you're probably reading too much into things . Good point though.

 

[aricher]

My guess is that the HP branded iPods will be coming out after Apple updates their own iPod. Apple will sell their brand techno-lust 4th Gen. iPod while HP gets the older 3rd Gen iPods but at a lower price than the newer iPods. Apple will want to make people buy directly from them and not HP.
Still a smart partnership though.

 

[rainman::|:|]

My guess is that the HP branded iPods will be coming out after Apple updates their own iPod. Apple will sell their brand techno-lust 4th Gen. iPod while HP gets the older 3rd Gen iPods but at a lower price than the newer iPods. Apple will want to make people buy directly from them and not HP.
Still a smart partnership though.

We shall see if this is the case. If Apple whips out a 4g iPod in the next couple of months, HP will be very interested in making sure that's the iPod that they're shipping, and troubles could arise. But I should assume some period of tech latency is written into the original contract, lest Apple decide to color some unsold iPods blue and try and move them... When contracts are involved, no one wants to be the "sucker".

And i agree that iTunes will probably not port to Linux... it's just not a good market to try and exploit. Most people are using Windows because it's what their company provided, and it's what the stores are full of. So they're somewhat likely to switch to something better if it comes along. But people using Linux probably made the switch, or are at least high-tech enough to have already made their own decision about computing long ago. Linux users just don't have the level of gulliability required to buy iPods (and then Macs in time) just because Apple makes good software. However on the PC side this is completely reversed, people tend to choose brands for things like MP3 players during the process itself. So that's the place to hit hard with marketing, word-of-mouth, and most importantly, free jukebox software

paul

 

[jholzner]

This is basically a two part question:

1) Has anyone heard an update on the HP branded iPod coming out? I am constantly searching the web for stories, but the only thing I can ever find is always "later this year".

2) I recently read an article about HP trying to sell more computers with SuSE Linux pre-installed. If HP is supposed to put iTunes on the desktop of all it's computers could this means that iTunes for Linux could be in the future or am I just reading too much into things?

HP will only be installing iTunes on it's consumer machines...I seem to remember that detail during the announcement. Doubt Linux will be appearing as a consumer OS anytime soon...well except for Lindows and it is debatable if that is a consumer OS.

 

[603]

Linux-on-iPod, anyone?

iTunes on Linux? I doubt it.

iTunes already runs on Linux. almost any x86 application can be made to work on Linux. i'm running the Windows iTunes client on my Linux server right now and listening to music. keep in mind that Linux users typically like a challenge - they don't care if an application is pre-compiled for their operating system.

Linux is an upcoming threat to Mac OS and I can't see Apple supporting it.

i can't say i agree with that. Linux and Apple can have a happy co-existence. many Linux applications can be configured to run on the Mac, which means more software for Apple buyers, and the old argument that there's not as much software available for the Mac loses some of its validity.

as far as Linux itself, it is still a long way behind OS X in many ways, and not really a threat. nevermind the fact that much of the technology in Mac OS X comes from code built for Linux. i think people are switching from Linux to Mac OS X more frequently than people are giving up the Mac platform for Linux... and while i think there are some real user interface problems with Mac OS X, it is still much more easy for end-users to learn and operate than Windows or any Linux distribution that i've tried thus far. so, in my opinion, Linux is not a "threat" to the Mac platform at all, and doesnt' really enter into the iTunes equation.