[E's Lil Theorem]

Well, that didn't take very long. I reckon it was expected once Fiorina was let go.

Hewlett-Packard ditches the iPod

ALLIANCE WITH APPLE COMPUTER ENDS

By Dawn C. Chmielewski

Mercury News

Hewlett-Packard will stop selling Apple Computer's popular iPod digital music player, ending a unusual Silicon Valley partnership announced with much fanfare last year.

Both companies issued a statement today saying that the iPod does not fit with HP's current digital strategy.

The partnership never lived up to its bold billing.

Ousted HP Chief Executive Carly Fiorina announced the deal at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, noting that HP had `the scope and the scale'' to bring the iPod to a mass market. HP's iPod sales have accounted for an average of 5 percent of all iPods sold since the deal was stuck.

The more significant partner for Apple turned out to be the world's largest discount retailer, Wal-Mart, which analysts credited with helping iPod sales reach a record 6.2 million in its most recent quarter, worth more than $1.1 billion in revenue.

``HP has decided that reselling iPods does not fit within the company's current digital entertainment strategy,'' said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. ``As a result, HP plans to stop reselling iPods by the end of this September.''

HP spokesman Ross Camp said the decision should not be interpreted as a signal that the company is withdrawing from the burgeoning digital entertainment market. He said HP will continue to offer media center PCs, digital entertainment centers and televisions.

``HP is very focused on providing an exceptional digital entertainment experience to consumers,'' said Camp. ``The iPod piece of that strategy is the only thing that has changed.''

Full linkage

Oh, and Wal-Mart? I didn't expect them to help Apple sell iPods all that much, but I reckon being the largest retailer in the nation helps a bit.

[Moderator]

yes..I too read that on the front page. and now i've read it again....thank you.

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally Posted by Moderator

yes..I too read that on the front page. and now i've read it again....thank you.

You're welcome, I reckon.

By the way, some of us don't read the "front page" of MacNN. I picked this piece of info from Google News and decided to post it here just in case someone wanted to discuss it. Hey, if not, let it drop.

[ghporter]

There's a thread on this in the iPod forum. LOTS of retail chains have been selling HP's iPods. What I like about this is two things. First, one of the areas of the business that HP has stayed out of on its own-digital music players-is now open for them, so watch for their own (probably flash-based) MP3 player soon. Second, they have almost explicitly said "it's all Carly's fault." They're ditching one of her watershed deals not too terribly long after ditching her. The trouble is that it ain't "all Carly's fault" because they saddled her with the Compaq deal before they actually gave her the job, and THAT is what's at fault. HP should have let Compaq die and then dived in to cut up the (few) useful parts. Too bad; I used to have respect for HP.

[Salty]

Wonder if this means no more iTunes on HP computers... that sucks. Oh well. The world continues to turn. That said I think Carly was a pretty good CEO compared to the CEOs of most companies.

[spatterson]

Yeah I read this on Yahoo.com...

Very intresting...

[spatterson]

Originally Posted by Salty

That said I think Carly was a pretty good CEO compared to the CEOs of most companies.

Agreed!

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally Posted by ghporter

There's a thread on this in the iPod forum. ....

Ah, but I wouldn't think to check there because I've read countless of times about how that's a support forum, not a "lets discuss anything iPod forum."

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by E's Lil Theorem

Ah, but I wouldn't think to check there because I've read countless of times about how that's a support forum, not a "lets discuss anything iPod forum."

That was not a scold, just a mention. And the subject applies in BOTH forums because it could affect support for HP iPods AND it's general interest at the same time. Besides, here I get to say stuff like "it ain't 'Carly's fault'" too!

[olePigeon]

Reminds me of that Dilbert comic where Ratbert became a CEO of a major company. Ran the company into the ground in like 3 days, then he was fired with a severance package of like $45 million. Ratbert's all "YES!!!" and the three execs say "Wow, he's taking it real well..."

I wanna be a CEO for a few days.

[osxisfun]

Dot Com Carly: In a tornado; even turkies can fly.

take a look at her companies _after_ see leaves them...