Asustek Computer has received OEM orders for the iPod mini digital music player from Apple Computer, according to market sources. Asustek is the second Taiwan-based manufacturer of the digital devices since Inventec Appliances also produces the iPod for Apple. Asustek will assemble and ship the iPod to Apple from its plant in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (China), the sources said.
The iPod orders will help Asustek in working toward its goal of becoming a key provider of consumer electronics products, the sources noted. In related news, Inventec is expected to continue to supply Apple with its current iPod models. In addition, Inventec is also likely to secure orders for a similar version of the iPod from Hewlett-Packard (HP), the sources said. Apple and HP entered into an agreement earlier this year for HP to resell the iPod under the HP brand.
Asustek and Inventec both declined to comment on the report, citing client confidentiality
News source: DigiTimes
The iPod orders will help Asustek in working toward its goal of becoming a key provider of consumer electronics products, the sources noted. In related news, Inventec is expected to continue to supply Apple with its current iPod models. In addition, Inventec is also likely to secure orders for a similar version of the iPod from Hewlett-Packard (HP), the sources said. Apple and HP entered into an agreement earlier this year for HP to resell the iPod under the HP brand.
Asustek and Inventec both declined to comment on the report, citing client confidentiality
News source: DigiTimes
The 11 console titles--all sequels--that the research predicts will sell more than 1 million units each and will dominate holiday sales are as follows:
•Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Take-Two, PS2)
•Halo 2 (Microsoft, Xbox)
•Madden NFL 2005 (Electronic Arts, PS2)
•Need for Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts, PS2)
•Gran Turismo 4 (SCEA, PS2)
•Spider-Man 2 (Activision, PS2)
•Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Activision, PS2)
•Pokémon LeafGreen (Nintendo, GBA)
•Pokémon FireRed (Nintendo, GBA)
•Metal Gear Solid 3 (Konami, PS2)
•Mortal Kombat: Deception (Midway, PS2)
Wedbush Morgan predicts that during 2004, 218 million pieces of software will be sold in total, skewed such that an astonishing 114 million of them will be moved during the final three months of the year. In addition, the report closes with in-depth looks at six of the major third-party publishers and recommendations for investors (giving a "Buy" rating to Take-Two, Activision, Atari, and Electronic Arts and a "Hold" rating to Midway and THQ).
While today's report focused on the console and handheld sectors, the document briefly alluded to three PC games thought capable of driving sales of a million or more before the end of the calendar year. Those would be Doom 3 (Activision), the upcoming The Sims 2.0 (Electronic Arts), and "November’s" release of Half-Life 2 (VU Games). "We expect the total unit sales for the 11 console/handheld million unit SKUs plus the three PC million unit SKUs to exceed 30 million units in calendar 2004," said Wedbush analysts Michael Pachter and Edward Woo in today's report.
Dice says: I feel this analyst is correct, do you?
I want mini flava motherboards now! :p
Obviously the jazzy colours will appeal to the younger generation, but HP aren't even adding anything of their own to the iPod (hardware and/or softwarre related). If I were to get a Mini iPod it would be a genuine one from Apple (without a colourful cover), just a standard colour (I like things consistent and smooth).
And now Asus are going to do the same - not a bad move for them, they simply make them and send them off to Apple which is a good move on both parts.
The HP deal is simple, HP they get a slice of the iPod market although the profit is far overshadowed by the brand awareness HP are after, the MTV Awards are a good example of this, and Apple gets iTunes installed on one of the biggest players machines thus extending their consumer base for ITMS and increasing their own brand recognition. HP are not even making the iPods themselves its all Apple, but as Apple is about the only computer manufacturer that anyone could call cool who would blame them.
Also those that are anti HP and with good reason, the only other choice would be Dell, and MS and Intel would go out of their way to stop that from happening, despite Dell's poor sales on their own player with the chance of it soon being axed soon, they are in a threesome that would cost them far to much if they did business with Apple.
Also i can't see HP being unique, i for one would like Alienware to do iPods, just imagine how cool those stickers would be.
I look at it like this. Believe me, the whole HP branded iPod made no sense to me at all. Then I thought ot it this way. It's kinda like the monitor or keyboard that you get with some computers. That 19in monitor of your maybe branded with a Dell logo, but it's a Samsung under the hood. I've seen MS internet keyboards with the Dell logo on them also. HP is applying this same method to the iPod, thus making it appear like it's a part of the systems. It makes a little sense to me now.
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