HP, Apple partner on iPod-based device, iTunes [updated]
January 8, 2004 - 13:15 PST   HP and Apple today announced a strategic alliance to deliver an HP-branded digital music player based on Apple's iPod, and iTunes to HP's customers. As part of the alliance, HP PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with iTunes and "an easy-reference desktop icon" to point consumers directly to the iTunes Music Store. HP's digital music player is expected to become available this summer and be priced "competitively to other digital music players currently available." Beginning this summer, iTunes will be preloaded on HP Pavilion, Media Center and Compaq Presario desktop and notebook consumer PCs.

"HP's goal is to bring the most compelling entertainment content and experiences to our customers," said Carly Fiorina, chairman and chief executive officer, HP. "We explored a range of alternatives to deliver a great digital music experience and concluded Apple's iPod music player and iTunes music service were the best by far. By partnering with Apple, we have the opportunity to add value by integrating the world's best digital music offering into HP's larger digital entertainment system strategy."

"Apple's goal is to get iPods and iTunes into the hands of every music lover around the world, and partnering with HP, an innovative consumer company, is going to help us do just that," said Steve Jobs, chief executive officer, Apple. "As the industry balkanizes by offering digital music wrapped in a multitude of incompatible proprietary technologies, consumers will be reassured in getting the same unparalleled digital music solutions from both HP and Apple, two leaders in the digital music era."

Update: Apple will manufacture the device, which will not have the iPod name, but will have the same design and features as 3G iPods, Phil Schiller, senior VP at Apple, said in an interview with CNET News.com. He also said the HP music player will come in "HP Blue." "The way we look at it, HP will be reselling an iPod device," said Schiller. He also noted that the device will display the Apple logo at start-up and will work with all of the accessories made for 3G iPods. The new iPod mini models will not be part of the HP deal.

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