hPod?
HP, Apple partner on iPod-based branded device, iTunes
This is one of the most bizarre announcements that I've heard in a long while.
When was the last time Apple had their products re-branded and sold under someone else's name? The Bell & Howell Apple ][?
There are a few questions here left unanswered.
First, is this going to be an iPod with an HP logo on it, or a new device with iPod guts? Or is it something in-between?
As for branding, is the Apple name or logo going to be on it at all? Is it going to be a "variant" of the iPod, as in, "iTunes supports both Apple and HP iPods", or a separate device, as in, "iTunes supports the Apple iPod and HP MusicThing"? I'd think that the former approach would risk generic-izing the name, but the latter approach builds marketshare on behalf of HP at the risk of HP in the future going its own way and eating at the marketshare of the iPod.
And what about pricing? Apple's always been heavy-handed with the MAP (minimum advertised price) to ensure a specific profit level. What happens when the hPod gets into a price war with the iPod?
I'm not seeing the synergy here. Am I missing something? The only reassuring bits were the quotes from Carly and Steve. Carly:
"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."
Partnering? But why not just resell the iPod like Dell did?
And Steve:
"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. 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."
That sounds like the hPod is just going to be an iPod with the HP logo on it. Otherwise, it's not "getting iPods [...] into the hands of every music lover." And if it's not a simple rebrand, then it's also not "the same [...] digital music solutions."
Is there any more info out yet?
[Edit: More details emerge at News.com. It's just going to be a blue-colored iPod. Weird. --Avi]