Some Tidbits
Ok, first of all this makes sense for HP because they have a whole strategy of integrating media and stuff. With their cameras, printers, scanners, computers, etc... it makes logical sense to want to have a music player. They actually trumpeted out a souped up iPod many months ago to their employees, basically iPod with extra features. Days later (not weeks, days), Carly Fiorina brought out the blue iPod. Why? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. HP had plans for a music store too, but when they saw Apple dominating, they jumped on the bandwagon. HP has some cool stuff too, and it can fit in, especially the speculation on secret features.
Like the ability to play photo slideshows directly on a TV? Right now, HP is limited to just 256mb or 512mb of photos for a slideshow with no music, if you run their cameras directly to a TV or through their dock. If the new iPods can't be connected directly to a media source for photo slideshows (as has been speculated by sources that cracked open the new ones), how about the new iPod docks? No one has cracked open the new iPod docks yet. There could be more to the new docks being for new iPods only besides the different size, like the extra ability to hook it up to a TV. And of course it's an iPod, so it can play music, and hold 20 or 40GB worth of photos. And HP also has room for camera docks on top of their Media Center PCs. Maybe they'll find room for iPod docks too. Media Centers also have those funky external USB hard drives that mount right on the computer. HP has so much to offer to this deal to Apple, Apple would be foolish not to take it. This is just one great example. Printing photos directly off the iPod with a dock-to-USB cable could be another. I don't know, I'm only speculating, and hoping for the best.
There's room for strategic partnership goodies here, and even if Apple and HP work on a simple cable to connect cameras to iPods, it's better than the reviews I've seen of the Belkin products. It will not be cheaper than Apple iPods, at best the same price. HP has to pay money to Apple. You will now have an ally for Apple that will get iPods into more hands if they're buying it with their HP computer that's preloaded with iTunes on the desktop AND Windows Media Player with the MS Music Store. Suddenly, these HP customers can't use the MS store because it won't work with the iPod they bought with their computer. MASSIVE plus for Apple. When you're being sold an HP computer in the store, what are you going to buy? A Dell player? A Napster player? No, you're going to buy an HP player because you're guaranteed it'll work with your computer (white be damned. If you're a computer amateur [parents of college students for some reason always are], you want the easiest to set up).
Apple is signing up these strategies for a reason. If not their product in the masses' hands, it's their licensed format in the masses' hands, and their allies' money coming to them. There was that blog finding the logic in the Motorola deal. Nokia took their sides, Sony Ericsson probably will go Sony Connect. Everyone is going the Windows Media route except Apple and HP. There is great logic in this, just have faith in Apple and trust HP will do their best to help them.
And those are my 2 cents and then some!
