HP ousts iTunes for Rhapsody
PC maker continues move away from 2004 Apple deal and will bundle RealNetworks' music subscription service instead.
Apple's iPod-iTunes juggernaut lost an ally today, as Hewlett-Packard said it will stop bundling iTunes software on its new PCs and laptops in favor of RealNetworks' Rhapsody music subscription service.
The move comes as no surprise to industry insiders, in the wake of HP's decision last summer to stop distributing HP-branded iPods.
Beginning in the spring, HP customers will get a free 30-day trial subscription to RealNetworks' Rhapsody.
RealNetworks announced a Web-based version of Rhapsody last month, letting users stream up to 25 songs for free without downloading its subscription software. The move was RealNetworks' attempt to give people a taste of its software-based, all-you-can-eat subscription service.
That service charges $9.99 per month for unlimited access to music on your computer, or $14.99 a month to transfer songs to portable players.
The HP deal calls for Rhapsody to be available on "select HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavilion Media Center TV PCs. Rhapsody will also become the default player for all major audio files formats on HP computers, including RealAudio, Windows Media Audio, AAC, and MP3.
"We're pleased to be working with HP to deliver Rhapsody via their new consumer notebook and desktop PC lines," said Dan Sheeran, senior vice president of RealNetworks' music and video division, in a statement. "This new agreement will enable a much wider audience of consumers to experience Rhapsody and use it to manage their personal digital-music collections."
HP's initial deal with Apple was launched exactly two years ago at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But the deal never proved successful for HP, which found sales of its HP-branded iPods lagging far behind that of regular iPods.
"HP is committed to bringing consumers the best PC entertainment experience," said HP's Bob Lund in a statement. "We selected Rhapsody because we want to give our customers a compelling choice for their music management software and easy access to a leading subscription music experience on the Web."
RealNetworks also announced a deal today with Cox Communications, which will offer Rhapsody to its broadband customers and integrate Rhapsody's subscription fees with its cable bills.
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