H-P Unveils New iPod,
Other Consumer Gadgets

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Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled a slew of consumer-electronic products Friday, including a new H-P-branded version of the iPod music player, as the computer and printer giant prepares for the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons.

The broad launch kicked off Friday morning during a press event in Miami, and included new printers, digital cameras, notebook computers and the much expected H-P branded iPod -- the company's version of the wildly popular digital music player created by Apple Computer Inc.

H-P's version of the Apple iPod allows users to print "tattoos" of album covers or other art that can be attached to the device.

The H-P iPods are priced the same as the Apple version: $399 for the 40-gigabyte version and $299 for 20 gigabytes. The devices have the same features as the Apple models, though H-P has added a feature called "printable tattoos," where users can decorate their iPods with album art or wrap their iPods in their own printable art and photos.

The licensing deal between the two companies, which was announced this past January, is a break from Apple's usual isolationist stance and should help it capitalize on the broad retail reach of H-P, the world's largest computer printer maker and second largest personal computer maker.

For H-P, working with Apple, the leader in portable music players and online music store sales, gives it a quick foothold in the digital music space.

"Clearly Apple has done a great job of making the iPod popular, but we have a wide distribution globally, so it'll really help in driving up the volume," said Vyomesh Joshi, an H-P executive vice president.

As part of the deal, H-P has also begun bundling Apple's iTunes jukebox software and iTunes Music Store with all of its computers. H-P's upcoming new digital entertainment center -- a hub that stores digital music, photos and videos and hooks up with a home television and stereo system -- will also feature the iTunes software.

Some of the other products H-P unveiled Friday included a printer with wireless capabilities so consumers can print directly from cellphones, and an all-in-one printer, copier, scanner and fax machine that can print panoramic views. The company also said it will unveil H-P branded ink cartridges that offer faster print speeds.

In conjunction with the product launch, H-P also announced a partnership with MTV in which H-P will be the sponsor of the MTV Video Music Awards in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. The awards will be broadcast Sunday.