Apple being sensible?

It's been 'revealed' that Apple are going manufacture a version of their new iPod that was announced yesterday, for HP. As the press release states:

"As part of the alliance, HP consumer PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with Apple's iTunes jukebox software and an easy-reference desktop icon to point consumers directly to the iTunes Music Store, ensuring a simple, seamless music experience. This offering is yet another way that HP is helping consumers enjoy more from their personal digital entertainment content."

The thing is a bundle; Apple will make a signature blue iPod mini for HP which the blue-chip giant will then sell as part of its catalogue. The trade of cool rubbing onto HP gets Apple’s iTunes software preinstalled on HP PCs: Pavilion, Media Center and Compaq Presario desktop and notebook consumer PCs. That's just about all the consumer friendly computers that HP makes. Good move both ways - it gets more families and 'average' consumners out there aware of the iPod and the iTunes music store and perhaps leads them down the long path to becoming customers. But perhaps the continual negative publicity from the mainstream press about profits, revenues and market share were getting Apple annoyed. Hopefully as well they'll have noticed the progress that Microsoft has been making in convincing the major music distributors of the short term future to adopt the windows approved file formats instead of the Mac one. If the public can only find the music they want on a Microsoft system, they'll adopt that system over the Apple one, no matter how hip and cool the marketing to convince them otherwise is. But of course Apple has done good, for this, yeah!
I haven't used an apple for years but I intend to, once funds permit, purchase an apple notebook rather than a Windows one. The main reason behind this is, yes, their design flair, attention to detail, and beautiful construction. If you're going to be using a computer for hours every day, you'd want it to be something that'll work for you rather than against you. Apple works. as they say.

UPDATE: Carly Fiorina, CEO of HP, has attacked 'digital piracy' at the CES and said that she'd put the whole weight of the company against illegal file sharing online.

"Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Fiorina was joined on stage by Jim Iovine, the chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, and several entertainment industry stars including U2's guitarist The Edge, singer Sheryl Crow, hip hop producer Dr Dre and film star Ben Affleck, who all backed the company's drive.

Chart-topping soul singer Alicia Keys also performed during Fiorina's keynote and condoned music downloads by fans, but only if they then bought the music if they liked what they heard."