- Jan 7, 2002
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HP to sell a version of the Apple iPod
DEAL IS PART OF HEWLETT-PACKARD'S PUSH INTO CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
By Dean Takahashi
Mercury News
Hewlett-Packard has joined the pack of computer makers diving into the consumer electronics market, announcing today it would sell a branded version of Apple's popular iPod music player as well as television sets and big-screen projectors.
``We think Apple did a great job,'' said Chris Morgan, HP's vice president of worldwide marketing, in an interview. ``We think that is a huge opportunity to expand what they did into the mass market. HP can reach 110,000 retail outlets, so we can address a large part of the market that Apple can't.''
HP argues it's not just coming out with me-too products that would force it into price wars with consumer electronics companies. Rather, Morgan said HP will incorporate its TVs and music players into a ``digital entertainment hub'' planned for a fall launch. The idea, he said, is to make it easy for consumers to create, manage and share all of their digital entertainment, from music to movies.
The entertainment hub will connect HP's new 30-inch liquid crystal display TV set, its 42-inch plasma display TV, its digital TV projectors and the HP iPod. Morgan said HP has huge advantages over its rivals. He noted the company can put its products in retail outlets and that it is the biggest buyer of liquid crystal displays.
But rivals like Dell and Gateway already are selling similar products. And Gateway notably announced earlier this week that its consumer electronics sales fell short of its goals for the holiday season.
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DEAL IS PART OF HEWLETT-PACKARD'S PUSH INTO CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
By Dean Takahashi
Mercury News
Hewlett-Packard has joined the pack of computer makers diving into the consumer electronics market, announcing today it would sell a branded version of Apple's popular iPod music player as well as television sets and big-screen projectors.
``We think Apple did a great job,'' said Chris Morgan, HP's vice president of worldwide marketing, in an interview. ``We think that is a huge opportunity to expand what they did into the mass market. HP can reach 110,000 retail outlets, so we can address a large part of the market that Apple can't.''
HP argues it's not just coming out with me-too products that would force it into price wars with consumer electronics companies. Rather, Morgan said HP will incorporate its TVs and music players into a ``digital entertainment hub'' planned for a fall launch. The idea, he said, is to make it easy for consumers to create, manage and share all of their digital entertainment, from music to movies.
The entertainment hub will connect HP's new 30-inch liquid crystal display TV set, its 42-inch plasma display TV, its digital TV projectors and the HP iPod. Morgan said HP has huge advantages over its rivals. He noted the company can put its products in retail outlets and that it is the biggest buyer of liquid crystal displays.
But rivals like Dell and Gateway already are selling similar products. And Gateway notably announced earlier this week that its consumer electronics sales fell short of its goals for the holiday season.
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