Up until now, Apple have only given end user a choice of two devices when it came to taking purchased iTunes tracks on the move - on a CD player (burned to CD-R) or Apple's iPod series. As Apple relies on iPod sales to make a profit due to their unprofitable iTunes service , they have been reluctant to give other digital audio player manufactures support for their iTunes' tracks up until now. It has only been a few days since Apple announced details about their iPod mini series.
Now HP has agreed with Apple to become a DRM dealer by selling HP branded iPod products. The HP products are expected to launch in the summer in the U.S priced similar to current portable digital music devices. These will be shipped with iTunes' software and will only provide DRM support for Apple's iTunes as the codec's currently supported by the iPod. They have not yet announced any specifications for their products, but are expected to be similar to Apple's current iPod series. While Apple has the largest selling online music store , HP is the world's largest consumer PC seller and will be interesting to see how they get along.
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At this time, HP is only saying that its HP-branded player will arrive sometime in the U.S. summer and be priced inline with current music devices. HP also plans to to pre-install Apple's iTunes music playing software on all of its consumer notebooks and PCs. With this deal, HP has partially turned its back on partner Microsoft, as Redmond and Apple disagree over the DRM (digital rights management) technology that should be used to infect music files. Earlier this week, Apple unveiled a new, lower cost version of the iPod. The system will start at $ 249 with 4GB of memory, come in a smaller package and be available in five different colors. HP did not immediately make it clear as to what type of iPod the company will roll out. It could choose to sell an entire line of large and small capacity systems. HP's CEO Carly Fiorina is set to speak at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later today and should provide more details on the news. The link to HP is a big coup for Apple, which has become the leading player in the locked music business. So far, the company has sold 30 million infected songs via iTunes. Now, it will have one of the world's largest consumer PC sellers on its side as well. |
As HP will be selling alongside Apple as well as supporting Apple's iTunes software, it will likely give Apple a helping hand rather than act as a competitor. It is nice to see HP going against Microsoft's DRM crippled format as well. Let's hope that when HP starts their iPod series that their prices will be more competitive and their products will fix the battery issue of the current iPod series. It will be interesting to see if they add any extra features such as an FM radio.
Discuss and read more about iTunes and other legal download services on our Music Downloads, P2P & Legal Issues Forum. Discuss and read about audio codec's as well as digital audio players on our Audio Forum.
Source: The Register
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