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HP Now Selling iPod shuffle
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Fabulous news
This is great news.
The more people and places selling iPods, the better it is for Apple.
Apple would have never gotten iPods into Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco were it not for the HP deal. The more the merrier!
In fact, Apple should do more deals like this...why not have other co-branded iPods?
This is great news.
The more people and places selling iPods, the better it is for Apple.
Apple would have never gotten iPods into Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco were it not for the HP deal. The more the merrier!
In fact, Apple should do more deals like this...why not have other co-branded iPods?
Sounds good - let Intel sell MACs - let HP sell ipods,,, as long as they perform and Apple has more revenue to make good stuff. Sure, problems will come of this,,, but any company that grows has new problems. Let's not get too attached to one way of doing business! (unless that one way is "the smart way" ).
~Shard~ said:I didn't know Intel made computers....
I didn't know HP made ipods....
yeah! who are these intel people anyway, comin over here with their fancy jingles, who do they think they are? I mean, what have the intels ever done for us?
Mass Hysteria said:I didn't know HP made ipods....
yeah! who are these intel people anyway, comin over here with their fancy jingles, who do they think they are? I mean, what have the intels ever done for us?
Exactly, the nerve of some people...
Seriously though, more ways/opportunities to buy iPods is ultimately a good thing for Apple. Although I agree with many people that the whole focus on iPod is overdone in some respects, perhaps at the expense of their computer line, it still ends up in success for Apple, which is all good. And as Doctor Q said, perhaps this is an alternative marketing approach for Apple computers. If more people switch to Macs because of their exposure and experience with iPods, then perhaps that is more effective advertising than Mac-specific commercials themselves.
GodBless said:
I know a lot of people with one or two music players that get replaced more often than their one computer.
My wife and I each have an iPod, she also has a shuffle for running. I have a PMG5 and she has a Pentium II that she won't let me upgrade nor does she care to. I know, a PII!?! She says MS word, money and Firefox work fine and they do. I can't convince her different. Having worked in computer retail while going through school... I can say this is, at least was, your average user. Not with the PII of course, but not on the cutting edge either - not looking to see when the next revision or update will be before they buy. They see what's on the shelf and choose.
Anyone know the current stats on the average computer users upgrade rate?
Current rate of people buying or switching to mp3 players?
What about return on advertising for iPod vs Mac?
I think furthering the deal with HP was a good move.
I'd suspect Apple is making the right ad based decisions for now. Eventually, they will hit all these people holding these little white boxes with an Apple logo on them and say "Hey, remember that computer you were amazed with when you we're buying your iPod!"
As far as iPod affecting the updates and production of computers... I think nagromme makes excellent points.
HP, Dell, and Apple
Considering that Apple already has a "partnership" with HP to sell iPods, I would think that if Apple deciced to license OS X to PC manufacturers, HP might be the first one on the list.
Think about it ... a few weeks ago Michael Dell, the Chairman of Dell computer indicated that he would be open to selling PC's with OS X installed. Perhaps this is a sign to Apple that Dell might offer a better reseller proposition than HP. This attempt by Dell might be a ploy to get Apple to consider licensing OS X to Dell instead of HP.
Any thoughts?
Considering that Apple already has a "partnership" with HP to sell iPods, I would think that if Apple deciced to license OS X to PC manufacturers, HP might be the first one on the list.
Think about it ... a few weeks ago Michael Dell, the Chairman of Dell computer indicated that he would be open to selling PC's with OS X installed. Perhaps this is a sign to Apple that Dell might offer a better reseller proposition than HP. This attempt by Dell might be a ploy to get Apple to consider licensing OS X to Dell instead of HP.
Any thoughts?
I think people tend to forget the importance of the Apple/HP alliance. The fact that HP sells HP branded iPods isn't all that important. Sure the market for iPods is expanded but it never accounts for much of total iPod sales.
The important part of the deal struck in Jan 2004 is that HP ships iTunes preinstalled on all their consumer computers. That is great for Apple.
I don't mind HP selling iPods (I see it as a neutral to slightly positive) if we get iTunes on all of those HP machines.
The important part of the deal struck in Jan 2004 is that HP ships iTunes preinstalled on all their consumer computers. That is great for Apple.
I don't mind HP selling iPods (I see it as a neutral to slightly positive) if we get iTunes on all of those HP machines.
Did I miss something? When did Apple drop the price of the 1GHz Shuffle? And why did I pay $20 more for one last month?
CURSE YOU APPLLLLLE!!! (said with fists in air, and very dramatically)
Not really.... Just hurry up and make me my new laptop.
CURSE YOU APPLLLLLE!!! (said with fists in air, and very dramatically)
Not really.... Just hurry up and make me my new laptop.
Doctor Q said:
That's true, actually. I read last week that Apple had a 'conversion' rate of 19%. Meaning, 19% of people who buy an iPod are more likely to buy a Mac computer. This beat analysts expectations of just 10%. It helped their share price, as I recall. I'll try and find the article again...
Uh-huh, this is a Good Thing.~Shard~ said:
So it's a "Switcher" thing.winmacguy said:
BUT, I just don't understand why folks would want an HP-branded iPod, though. Are people really that dumb to think that they won't work on PCs unless they have a well-known PC company's brand on them? I'm really hoping that the real answer to this is a business market exposure thingy - like others have suggested - to get access to all the sweetheart product placements HP has in CostCo and other similar stores.
To quote Gordon Gekko, "Greed is good."
Aren't the HP iPods blue-colored or something as well? I guess that would be kinda nifty, to have a blue plastic iPod without a skin on it...
[Edit]:
<William Shatner>Khaaaaaaannnnnnnn!</William Shatner>Kobushi said:
When I was in Sam's Club today, I saw the HP version of the iPod photo 30 and some shuffles, but I didn't notice the company on the packaging. It seemed sad that they finally got something into Sam's Club but that it was already outdated.
Oh well, glad to see that Apple and HP are continuing to help make iPods safe for Floriduh.
Oh well, glad to see that Apple and HP are continuing to help make iPods safe for Floriduh.
Good to see that there is another outlet for Apple's hardware. But seriously - where are the Macs???
All I can see is iPods here there and everywhere!!!
aussie_geek
All I can see is iPods here there and everywhere!!!
aussie_geek
ZipZilla said:
Yeah it is better for Steve Jobs. Oil prices are going up and a Gulfstream V doesn't exactly sip jet fuel. Too bad that money wasn't spent on R&D for iBooks.
nagromme said:
They think they can hold off on updating the iBook and Mac mini because strong sales of the iPod are enough to let them sail by another quarter... as long as they have the iPod to draw attention away from a lack of updates to their computer lineup.
Look at how many updates the iPod gets. These latest updates were quite small so why doesn't the iBook or Mac mini get small updates as well? Why not update GPU, HD or Superdrive? It's been over a year since the iBook has been updated. That's inexcusable.
As long as they have iPods to dangle in front of Wall Street analysts' eyes their other products will not get the attention they deserve. If they didn't have the iPod to fall back on they would be putting everything they have into their computer lineup because that would be all they have.
Those are the very connections you are searching for.
eXan said:
Yes indeed, a noticeable gap in the price structure and line-up for the iPod. I wonder what Apple might fill it with in the future <cough>video iPod<cough>