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HP and Apple Separate; Apple gets Custody

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the can't-buy-me-love dept.

Kasracer writes "Yesterday, The Register reported that HP separated from Apple's iPod selling agreement. 'Doing its best to erase Carly Fiorina's mistakes, HP has culled an iPod reselling agreement in place with Apple since January of 2004.' It is unclear whether or not HP will create an mp3 player or partner with another computer to fill the void."

5 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Is it just me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You missed the point.

    It worked for Apple because it got iPods in more retail outlets, expanded production lines, spread liability and production expense, and got iTunes put on HP computers.

    It worked for HP by allowing them to associate themselves with the cool cachet of the iPod brand.

    That was the idea, anyway. I think Apple got a lot more out of the deal, though, which is why HP pulled the plug.

  2. Re:Do you think... by ThePatrioticFuck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think Godwin needs to come up with another law, the one that says at some point in a discussion, someone will find a way to point the finger of blame at Microsoft.

  3. Re:Good. by boomerny · · Score: 3, Insightful

    yup, using cryptic model names is bad for business as far as I'm concerned. Do people go into a store and ask for an iPod or a Sony NW-HD5? An iMac or a Sony VGC-RB42G? Keep it simple, folks.

  4. My favorite quote from the article... by amper · · Score: 3, Insightful
    And finally, the new VAIO Pocket is touted as the "iPod Killer" and it's easy to see why. Apple should be afraid; very afraid indeed.


    Don't make me laugh. Sony pre-announced the VAIO Pocket over one year ago. In that time, Apple has sold, what, something like 18 million plus iPods?

    3Q2005 iPod sales ~= 6.2 million units
    2Q2005 iPod sales ~= 5.3 million units
    1Q2005 iPod sales ~= 4.5 million units
    4Q2004 iPod sales ~= 2.0 million units
    3Q2004 iPod sales ~= 0.86 million units

    Do Mr. Robinson and The Register seriously think that the VAIO Pocket is going to "kill" a product line which has sold nearly 20 million units just in the time since Sony pre-announced the VAIO Pocket? Never mind what the rest of the world has already said concerning the viability of the VAIO Pocket...

    Apple isn't stitting in Cupertino on their hands, I'm certain.
  5. No just the calculators. by Zordak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Carly Fiorina was their mistake. I hate that woman. She ruined one of the most respectable companies in engineering. It's not just the calculators. HP used to be synonymous with quality in instrumentation. That's what Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started doing in their garage fer cryin' out loud! Now that's been spun off (how can you buy an instrument named "Agilent" with a straight face), the Australian Calculator Division is closed, THEY MERGED WITH FRIGGIN' COMPAQ, MAKERS OF THE CRAPPIEST COMPUTERS SINCE PACKARD BELL, and the HP brand means nothing more than "Mediocre PCs." Honestly, does she go and piss on their graves every week too? Is she sleeping with Satan? What's up with that woman?

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