HP tips its hand on new iPod

Hewlett-Packard turned on the music a little early Friday morning, revealing on its Web shopping site the details of the new HP-branded iPod music player clone.

The Palo Alto, Calif., computer giant wasn't expected to unveil the details of the product until a news conference later Friday in Miami, where CEO Carly Fiorina will announce the beginning of a broader consumer electronics push for the holidays.

According to the HPShopping.com Web site, the company will offer two versions of Apple Computer's iPod.

The players, both dubbed the Apple iPod from HP, will offer the same design as Apple's latest iPod, including features such as the "click-wheel" navigation design. The HP players will also offer the same amount of data storage and the same prices, according to details revealed on the company's site.

Thus, just like Apple, HP will sell the music players in 20GB and 40GB capacities for $299 and $399, respectively.

The 20GB model will be good for up to about 5,000 songs, and the 40GB model offers enough capacity for 10,000 songs, HP's site shows.

The players' other specifications also appear to be the same, including their 4.1-inch height and 2.4-inch width, their 12-hour advertised battery life and their ability to interface with a PC using USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 FireWire.

At its press event later Friday, HP is expected to formally release an avalanche of new consumer products, including the iPod clone and the company's first line of televisions.

A company representative declined to comment on the early release of the products' details.

HP's site says that the company is taking preorders for the iPod clones now and that it plans to begin shipping the music players Sept. 15.

HP, which first announced plans to sell a version of the iPod last January, had originally aimed to begin selling the music player this summer. But in July HP said it would wait for the latest iPod models and their click-wheel interface for playing music and making menu choices.

Why would you buy an HP when you could have the original for the same price

I'm not sure I understand the point HP is trying to make! It's essentially the same unit that apple sales, just branded under the HP name, sort of... If the iPod is so cool... why would you buy an alter branded rip off? It doesn't come with anything better does it... NO! Seems like a waste of resources, they should have developed there own product and served up some originality!

Why would you buy an HP when you could have the original for the same price

I'm not sure I understand the point HP is trying to make! It's essentially the same unit that apple sales, just branded under the HP name, sort of... If the iPod is so cool... why would you buy an alter branded rip off? It doesn't come with anything better does it... NO! Seems like a waste of resources, they should have developed there own product and served up some originality!

[Doxxic]

How is HP going to benefit, except some $ per sold iPod?

How can HP accept that they have to call it the Apple iPod from
HP?

Usually, everything that's being sold, contributes to it's brand in
a way.
But how does this contribute to HP's brand, if they're calling it an
Apple iPod from HP??

I wonder what's HP's strategic reasoning behind this...

I mean, it really seems that the big sluggish HP is being
outsmarted by little Apple.

If HP thinks that they look smart and innovative because they
bring Apple products, they're even more stupid.

[jegrant]

Good point, but

I think HP is going to offer a bit more than a normal iPod might
on Windows; one page at HP's website mentioned syncing with
the Outlook calendar. This might be where HP can add value;
connecting iPod to Windows in ways that Apple can't or won't.
They are also going to come out with a line of iPod covers that
will fit any 4G iPod whether sourced from HP or Apple, so there
is also some money in that.

IMO it might also earn them some credibility with their
customers because it shows that HP knows when they can't top
an existing product, and instead chooses to integrate the best
product (as proven by the market's overwhelming acceptance)
into HP's strategy of a "digital lifestyle".

One thing I've also seen mentioned on some Mac-specific news
sites is that HP can provide a much broader distribution channel
than Apple and its existing partners.

[Doxxic]

How is HP going to benefit, except some $ per sold iPod?

How can HP accept that they have to call it the Apple iPod from
HP?

Usually, everything that's being sold, contributes to it's brand in
a way.
But how does this contribute to HP's brand, if they're calling it an
Apple iPod from HP??

I wonder what's HP's strategic reasoning behind this...

I mean, it really seems that the big sluggish HP is being
outsmarted by little Apple.

If HP thinks that they look smart and innovative because they
bring Apple products, they're even more stupid.

[jegrant]

Good point, but

I think HP is going to offer a bit more than a normal iPod might
on Windows; one page at HP's website mentioned syncing with
the Outlook calendar. This might be where HP can add value;
connecting iPod to Windows in ways that Apple can't or won't.
They are also going to come out with a line of iPod covers that
will fit any 4G iPod whether sourced from HP or Apple, so there
is also some money in that.

IMO it might also earn them some credibility with their
customers because it shows that HP knows when they can't top
an existing product, and instead chooses to integrate the best
product (as proven by the market's overwhelming acceptance)
into HP's strategy of a "digital lifestyle".

One thing I've also seen mentioned on some Mac-specific news
sites is that HP can provide a much broader distribution channel
than Apple and its existing partners.

[Prndll]

Interesting........

I wonder if Real's hack of the IPOD has anything to do with this.

Most people use Windows, it seems to me only inevitable that something so obviously popular as the IPOD would make it's way to a Windows pc.

[Prndll]

Interesting........

I wonder if Real's hack of the IPOD has anything to do with this.

Most people use Windows, it seems to me only inevitable that something so obviously popular as the IPOD would make it's way to a Windows pc.

whats the difference between the hp ipod and the apple one?

perhaps i seem ignorant in asking this but...wats the difference? at the moment i'm in the market to buy a hard drive based mp3 player so if you could help me out it'd be greatly appreciated.

the purpose???

along with many other troubled mp3 shoppers i still cannot find the difference of the hp and apple ipod. i work in a best buy and sale the apple ipods daily. after looking over hp's web page and many other related links i am yet to find a difference. since apple has made there product accessible for all pc's, what does the hp have to offer apple doesn't?

whats the difference between the hp ipod and the apple one?

perhaps i seem ignorant in asking this but...wats the difference? at the moment i'm in the market to buy a hard drive based mp3 player so if you could help me out it'd be greatly appreciated.

the purpose???

along with many other troubled mp3 shoppers i still cannot find the difference of the hp and apple ipod. i work in a best buy and sale the apple ipods daily. after looking over hp's web page and many other related links i am yet to find a difference. since apple has made there product accessible for all pc's, what does the hp have to offer apple doesn't?

[tlite722]

hi

hi

[tlite722]

hi

hi