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HP To Start Selling Its iPod
Dozix007 writes "Uberhacker.Com is reporting that HP said Friday it will start selling its version of the iPod in September. HP's white iPod will be sold in a 20-gigabyte and 40-gigabyte version for $299 and $399 respectively. Apple's prices are the same. It is essentially a clone of the current design, with no real modification."
Same function, same price, same look.... I'd rather have the original myself.
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If the price is the same... they're screwed. Apple's Ipod force is brand recognition... Same feature set too! I wonder who thought that it would be a good idea... and they got a license from Apple (which cost $$$, and maybe a % of profits)... I just don't understand?
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More iPod units out, but possibly less iPod brand recognition? It says it's similar, but I'm curious how the iPod and hpPod differ. I guess it's good for Apple, as hpPod users will probably use the iTMS.
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Perhaps the reason HP is doing this is so that it can perhaps bundle the iPod with some back-to-school computer they'll be selling. Though I think they'd probably get more buyers if they had some sort of "limited edition HP branded iPod".
Good for Apple to extend their market, but might be bad if HP competes in similar market channels.
The HP model will come with 1 year of free phone support where I believe Apple's is 90 days.
Why the need to release an iPod with an HP logo on it? I think the only impact this will have is added confusion to the average consumer. People are going to see these HP iPods, which they know full well are Apple iPods, and wonder what's different about them, when both versions are exactly the same. Furthermore, it doesn't give HP a "cooler image" as everyone and their cousin knows full well that the iPod was designed/manufactured by Apple. Some consumers may even think that HP blatantly stole Apple's design. I'm not quite sure I see the point of this, besides throwing HP a bone in return for having iTunes pre-installed on their machines.
Is this really different from when Dell sold Ipods two years ago? I thought that Apple was going to license the Ipod to HP, now it looks like they have made HP into "just another reseller".
John Carmack fan, browsing at +5 since 1999.
What constitutes price fixing?
The differences are in the packaging and the material that comes with the iPod itself. The main differences are the instructions are going to be written for the WIndows user and will include one of those fold out "getting started" posters. HP felt that the Windows user needed a different sort of help with the iPod than the Mac mindset inherent in the current Apple instructions...
I know, I know, I'm bringing actual facts to a /. discussion, but:
The iPod has used iTunes on both Windows and Mac for a long while now. Nobody's stuck with the sucktastic MusicMatch Jukebox (except maybe Dell DJ users). HP's iPods and computers are shipping with iTunes, not "HP's software."
Similarly, USB 2.0 support isn't new. Syncing via USB 2.0 has been supported for, what, three generations of iPod now? And the current model adds the ability to charge via USB 2.0.
Regarding software for the iPod... although iTunes is the only software officially supported by Apple, there are several other programs (free/shareware) like Anapod Explorer, Ephpod, XPlay, and even RealPlayer that will transfer and manage your iPod's music collection.
As another poster points out, the iPod WILL play any MP3 you put on there. It will also play MPEG-4/AAC, which IS a standard format, licensed from Dolby. It will even play plain-old WAV files, too. The iPod doesn't support Windows Media files, but if you're using iTunes, WMA files will automatically be converted to MP3 or AAC when you import them to your library.
Maybe you're not familiar with Audible, which is an online store for Audiobooks. Audible has its own DRM-protected format which only a few portable players support, one of which is the iPod.
As far as pricing is concerned, the iPod is probably the most expensive in terms of $$/gigabyte, but not by much. Last time I checked, other 20GB players were in the $250-300 range, too. (A 20GB iPod sells for $299 or less)
Hey, it's great you like your big old Archos jukebox. But, I wanted a portable music player that was small and light enough to strap to my arm while I go out bicycling and to the gym. And I wanted one that would play Audible's audiobooks, too. The iPod was my only choice.
I'll admit, my biggest frustration with my iPod is with the software; I wish I could just plug it in and drag-and-drop my music via Windows Explorer. But it's a pretty minor complaint; Aside from being a memory hog, iTunes really is a great media player and organizer. And I still feel that the iPod is the best MP3 player for me.
Not quite. I believe they are coasting here also. The quality of constuction of thier printers seems to be going down hill also. Everything I've seen since around the 4000 and on is getting cheaper and cheaper. I was unboxing some 4200's and I broke the back door off of one of them when the plastic bag it was shipped in got caught on it as I was pulling it off. The front door on another unit pulled off and the spring went flying when I was removing the HP orange tape they put on it to keep things closed in transit (anyone who ever unpacked an HP printer knows what tape I am talking about). The newer HP printers have more features and are faster but they sure seem to be lacking the rock hard construction they used to have. I believe the days of the million plus page counts of the 5si with little to no maintenance on whatever paper you decide to feed it are gone.
As someone else further up stated, HP's days are numbered. HP is no longer thinking any more then the next quarters numbers and the firing of three executives earlier this month shows that big time. You can only coast on a name so long. A quote contained in the link above:
"You have to be concerned about the leadership at Hewlett-Packard, every quarter, it seems to be a different explanation for what went wrong."
Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
HP is smart to stick with white and to encourage people to print their own tattoos/skins for their iPod.
h tml
"HP describes the Tattoos as follows: The ultra-thin HP Printable Tattoos are easy to apply and remove from the player's exterior. They are durable and water-resistant, which helps protect the iPod from scratches and scuffs as music lovers carry it around. HP is working with industry recording studios to offer consumers access to the latest album art from the newest releases."
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2004/08/27.6.s
Does anyone know how HP are going to handle the problems with battery life experienced by the Ipod. Will they be offering a battery replacement service like apples? Will it be cheaper? If its cheaper can existing apple Ipod owners get thier batteries replaced by HP?
Paul Gogarty