H-P unveils own version
of Apple iPod

updated 5:56 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2004

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled its own version of the iPod portable music player Friday, showing the fruits of a groundbreaking partnership it had previously announced with Apple Computer Inc.

H-P is now taking orders for the player, which it has dubbed the “Apple iPod from H-P.” The product is a replica of Apple’s latest models of the popular white 20-gigabyte and 40-gigabyte iPods — but carries the H-P brand instead.

The licensing deal, which was announced this past January, is a break from Apple’s usual isolationist stance and should help it capitalize on the broad retail reach of H-P, the world’s largest computer printer maker and second largest PC maker.

For H-P, working with Apple, the leader in portable music players and online music store sales, gives it a quick foothold in the digital music space.

“Clearly Apple has done a great job of making the iPod popular, but we have a wide distribution globally, so it’ll really help in driving up the volume,” said Vyomesh Joshi, an H-P executive vice president.

The price will be $299 for the 20-gigabyte model, or $399 for the 40-gigabyte model, matching Apple’s current prices. The products will be available in early September.

FREE VIDEO Hewlett-Packard gets jiggy CNBC’s Cory Johnson reports on Hewlett-Packard’s push into digital entertainment, starting with its own branded version of Apple’s iPod. CNBC

The H-P-branded music player will not feature H-P’s signature blue color as initially planned because it found that the clean white look was important to iPod customers, Joshi said.

As part of the deal, H-P has also begun bundling Apple’s iTunes jukebox software and iTunes Music Store with all of its computers. H-P’s upcoming new digital entertainment center — a hub that stores digital music, photos and videos and hooks up with a home television and stereo system — will also feature the iTunes software.

Also, H-P will sell photo labels in which users can choose and print their own art, or select cover art from artists H-P has partnered with, such as Sting and Alicia Keys, and wrap the tattoo-like stickers around their iPods for a personal touch.

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