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HP Branded iPod and Music Store

Originally posted by adamfilip
IPod will be Blue and not called the IPOD



From ZDNET.COM

Apple will manufacture the player, which will not have the iPod name, but will have the same design and features as Apple's third-generation iPod players, Phil Schiller, senior vice president at Apple, said in an interview. Also, the HP music player will come in "HP Blue," he said.
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That was the sound of opportunity whizzing by ... :(

Ah, well.

A rebranded iPod is nothing to get excited over at all. No innovation, just a new brand name molded into the plastic. I don't see it as a potential huge seller at all; HP isn't a huge CE name, despite their aspirations ...

iTunes on all HPs ... well, it's a good move I suppose, but it's just as easy to de-emphasize the "icon on the desktop" as it is to put it there in the first place. I don't know how many of you have bought a PC in the past ten years, but every single one of them is pre-loaded with desktop icons to half a dozen different ISPs and crap services ... most PC buyers just ignore those icons altogether, and when Windows suggests that they be deleted to "clean the desktop", they just click "Okay" and are done with them ...

Ah well ... it sounded like it might be good news, until that CNet article ... :(
 
Originally posted by Stoffel
Sounds like a good idea. I wonder how it will look like. Probably not so well designed.....
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Apparently you're not familiar with what 'rebranding' means to HP.

You buy the iPod. get a sticker that says 'HP' and put it where the Apple was.

Voila, new product.
 
I just read that HP's CEO is trying to justify moving jobs overseas

Here's the quote:

"There is no job that is America's God-given right anymore," Carly Fiorina, chief executive for Hewlett-Packard Co., said Wednesday. "We have to compete for jobs."

The full article is here: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040107/ap_on_bi_ge/technology_jobs_5

This is from the mouth of someone who earned $10,934,357 in 2002 according to this site: http://www.aflcio.org/corporateamerica/paywatch/ceou/database.cfm?tkr=HPQ&pg=1

How many jobs could be saved if she earns half that amount?

In fact, why not outsource the executive jobs? Executives earn far less overseas than they do here. This would help the corporations bottom line even more.
 
Alas, there's always room for a negative point of view. Even if it is poorly thought out and totally wrong! You know, some people look at a glass of water and say it's half empty. Others say it's half full. Some people look up to the sky and see it as partly cloudy. Others look up and say, partly sunny. Some.......:D
 
Originally posted by Earendil
NOTE TO HP


Do not listen to the deranged people on this forum, in no way is Apple trying to take away your costumers by getting them to switch. They are all fools, and will be punished accordingly.
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Because, you know, Apple is really lusting over that lucrative costuming market. They'll see how fun it is to costume an iPod in HP blue and want to be a part of the action. :D
 
First off Apple has invested WAY too much in porting over iTunes for Windows.
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I'm not sure if that's necessarily true. iTunes is probably programmed in C++, which is pretty portable. Sure, UI changes and loads of other bits to make it work perfectly in Windows will have been done, and is indeed a very involved task, but the core elements of it (processes, codecs etc) are common to both.


This is great news. It'd be cool if HP set compatible media to open with iTunes by default as opposed to Windows Media Player.


And like some other people have said - deals like this could open the opportunity of HP-branded Macs. Now, whilst the majority of members of this forum wouldn't want that, it would encourage many Windows users, especially as they would probably include VPC as a marketing stunt.


All sounds great to me.


Just my 2c :D
 
Originally posted by the_mole1314
I have one big problem with this: the re-branded iPod. I mean, what would it be? Would it just be the iPod, Apple logo and all, or a whole new shell? I'm worried about the iPod.
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I too am worried about the cannibalization of the iPod share. I think though, that Apple is just allowing the HP player to work on iTunes and iTMS. I don't actually think they will let HP cop their design.

Recall that iPod and iTunes/iTMS were a pair that didn't share. iPod doesn't work with other jukeboxes (napster etc) or formats like WAF, and iTunes only worked with iPod. Now, iTunes will work with iPod and HP-od -- it's just the software and not the design. I wonder even if the interface will be a little different.

Apple will hold on tightly to its brand. They will say, if you want a sleek iPod, you will have to pay the higher price. But if you just want to use iTunes/iTMS, here's another option for you -- cheaper, and not as pretty, but it works.

The long term strategy of Apple trying to convert people to iPods and mac is still intact. You give people free iTunes, preinstalled. They go out and buy an HP-od. (because they are not going to install napster and buy napster player since they have iTMS already). Not as cool as iPod, so they upgrade to iPod later (or get an iPod mini in addition) and then, finally, they see the light, break down and spring for the mac.
 
Originally posted by ShadowHunter
I don't know who you talk to, but almost everybody that asks me about a new PC, they ask what they should get for X budget (which is usually over $1000), not, "whats the cheapest POS I can get?"
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Look at where most people buy a PeeCee from? Gateway sold a lot of low-end machines, which had practically no profit to them as, that market was so fierce. Dell is in the low-end market as well.
 
return of the clones?

This will definitely increase market share and also gain respect and cash for Apple.

Next on the list is iTunes for Canada and Europe.

I notice a lot less Apple-bashing lately by the PC crowd.
Hard to do when you're listening to iTunes, I guess.

What a good start to the new year - now when is GARAGEBAND going to ship?!
 
Originally posted by the_mole1314
I have one big problem with this: the re-branded iPod. I mean, what would it be? Would it just be the iPod, Apple logo and all, or a whole new shell? I'm worried about the iPod.
Click to expand...
it wouldnt be "re-branded" if it had the Apple logo on it, since the Apple logo is a brand
 
Bigger the Ben Hur....

If you want to point to the ONE mistake that Apple made that cast it in the role of 'small but perfectly formed' it was the decision to keep software and hardware to itself in the 1980s....

With the iPod/iTunes combination there obviously will be no repeat of that mistake (hurrah!!)

Its a good reward for all the hard work Apple have put in to getting the iTunes licencing system et all set up.

All Apple's competitors in this space will now be saying 'Oh Crap....'. ONly got one thing to say to them...:p :p :p :p :p :D
 
Originally posted by pkradd
A "re-branded" iPod means the same innards.
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The original press release did NOT say "re-branded".

Phil has since made it clear that this is what was meant, but the original press release said "based on", which includes everything from simple rebranding to borrowing one minor stylistic suggestion of the device for the new one ...
 
Originally posted by brywalker
I don't quite understand that sentence. We have 4 PCs in this house and none of them are grey. We have 1 Blue, 2 Black, and 1 Green.

Must be a mac thing.....
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Mac menus/windows have traditionally been white (not counting the grayer OS 8/9 Platinum look) while Windows are ugly grey.

Yes I know you can change the theme/color on Windows, but when I have to use a Windows box at work I wince at the ugly default gray. Somehow this really is a defining issue between the two systems. Windows is very ugly to me. :)
 
It sounds like the new HP 'iPod' will be a different coloured iPod with the HP badge on it. Same price, same controls. THE SAME THING.

It will be both compatible with PCs and Macs. Why would Apple not want it to work with Macs? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Besides, the computer probably won't be able to recognise the difference between them and a normal iPod.

I think this is very good news. It provides another route for people to pick up "iPods" and get into the whole iTunes thing. It will raise awareness of the Apple brand for HP customers. It will ensure that the iPod doesn't receive an early grave. And it will add weight to AAC against WMA.

The only thing we don't know, is how they have agreed to share the profits. I presume they will both get a piece of both pies - the store and the hPods. BTW, I reckon that the iTMS isn't quite as "zero profit" as everyone thinks. Not enough to base a business on, sure, but certainly nothing that makes a loss or just scrapes through. Apple still gets about 15% per song, and the actual store is pretty low maintenance with low running costs compared to a brick & mortar store. 30 million songs is a lot...
 
Say it slowly people....

Apple will manufacture it. It will have the HP logo on it. It will be blue. It will otherwise be identical to the Apple iPod. Read the articles, people:

cnet

zdnet
 
rendevous and pixlet

There's too many posts to go through, so I didn't see any comments about Rendevous, and Pixlet, et al, but all of these have potential for cross platform migration.

Anyway, I see this as mutually beneficial to both parties, especially as Jobs long ago conceded the PC market to MS, (probably) knowing quite well that it was in for a sea change anyway. He, like Carly (and everyone else for that matter), has to figure out how to get there, and Apple so far, seems to have outmanuevered the competition. This is especially bad news for Sony, which is, really having a tough time maintaining its consumer product status.

I have to buy a PC pretty soon for engineering stuff. I guess it will be an HP or Compaq for me.
 
Re: rendevous and pixlet

Originally posted by TMay
I have to buy a PC pretty soon for engineering stuff. I guess it will be an HP or Compaq for me.
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I was thinking the same thing - I have to buy a PeeCee for work in around the summer time, and will consider an HP.

Boy they're smart.
 
Originally posted by x86isslow
i just realized: why hasnt ibm (apple buys millions of dollars worth of computer chips from them now) pledged to preload itunes+quicktime in its computers?
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IBM sells computers?

:)
 
Re: OUCH, Smack

Originally posted by Prom1
What on Earth is this??

I'd rather see G5's and Apples OS X on COmpaq or HP computers minus the iLife products and full UNIX underpinings.
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Umm, you can't have OS X without the UNIX underpinnings. OS X wouldn't work without the UNIX underpinnings.
 
Glass of water

OK let me clarify a lil more about my half empty glass of water.

I'm not complaining of this effort of Apple's, water is vital to us all, and as well the competition for it.

Now someone mentioned that Apple's and HP's stocks are skyrocketing of this announcement.

It seems that most investors and analysts (anal ist!) are anal towards anything Apple. Last quarters announcement of R&D spending as well as profits of Apple's wasn't enough for their stock to go up; when it should've skyrocketed due to the fact of upgraded PowerBooks and HUGE acceptance of the PowerMac. Yet anything PC based helps their stock go up.

Guess because of independent research PROVES Apple's success in legal music download space, as well as the #1 portable music player -bar none STILL wasn't enough, yet now the partnership with a large competing PC company helps.

Water is water and I'm sure in the first 2 qtrs this will help Apple's coffers (maybe this extra money need, sorry WANT is the precise word, is for huge research into bringing the Updated PowerBook by years end), however I see this as dirty water, tanting the iPod's Apple brand name.

What will happen if a price war ensues....will Apple match? The may have to and this will lower their OWN profits for the model. Now on that note, I do hope price equality SET by Apple doesn't allow HP to cause this.
 
Re: See ya Dell!

Originally posted by hughdogg
Adios Dell DJ...

Give Carly some credit, she smart enough to know when somebody else is doing it sooo much better than you can, your smart to sub it out... And give SJ some credit for making this happen too...
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I don't agree with this statement, I think Michael Dell is quite an intelligent guy with a great busines mind... it's not that he doesn't know that the iTMS is not doing well, OF COURSE HE DOES...

i just think that Dell want to go their way but always end up with egg of their face in comparison to Apple...

Dell will realise soon enough, that Dell DJ is going nowhere and they'll be begging to take back the iPod... anywhere the money is to be found...
 
Carly Fiorina

Its seems when asked directly on CNN Headline news just now, if this is HP's biggest puch of Media in the consumer HOME market (this Apple, HP announcement); ; She downplayed this as a major investment.

bummer.
 
An Important Question

Will this new hPod be considered an iPod when they deternine what the best selling mp3 players are? Let me illustrate:

Instead of selling 1,000,000 iPods next year, what happens if Apple sells 600,000 iPods and 400,000 hPods??? It's still 1,000,000 _Pods, BUT what if that stupid rio thing sells 750,000 units? Do the iPod get 2nd and 3rd or do they combine to stay at 1st?

I'd know they're #1, and you'd know they're #1, but those stupid rankings mean a lot to people.

Either way, you have to give HP credit. Just this week 2 other music stores were announced (Real and Sony) with 2 more music formats (well, 1, sorry), and 2 more DRM methods. With the iTunes music store already commanding 70% of the market. As each of these new stores come out, they are just fragmenting that remaining 30% that much more.

Carly was smart by saying "why would we spend the time and $ to come out with yet another stupid store, when we can just put our name on something that everyone already knows and loves."
 
Re: Carly Fiorina

Originally posted by Prom1
Its seems when asked directly on CNN Headline news just now, if this is HP's biggest puch of Media in the consumer HOME market (this Apple, HP announcement); ; She downplayed this as a major investment.

bummer.
Click to expand...

just missed it.. what did she say?
 
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