News

HP Offers Consumers Keys to Living Digitally - Simple, Personalized Experiences (2/9/2004)

HP (NYSE:HPQ)(Nasdaq:HPQ) today announced its expansion into multiple new consumer digital entertainment and digital photography categories with a range of offerings aimed at making it easier than ever for people to live digitally. The offerings include new digital cameras and photo printers, home theater projectors, plasma and LCD flat-panel TVs, entertainment-based notebooks and desktop PCs, and the Apple iPod from HP -- all in time for the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons.

HP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina unveiled the enhanced digital lineup today during a press conference in South Beach, Fla., where HP is sponsoring the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

Highlights of today's announcement include:

-- New HP Vivera Inks, cartridges, media and printers that take digital photography to new levels of quality and affordability; plus new additions to HP's digital camera line with innovative features that produce professional-quality photos every time.
-- The HP Digital Entertainment Center, which allows consumers to manage music, movies and photos from a single device; a suite of new plasma and LCD flat-panel TVs; the HP Instant Cinema Digital Projector ep9010, a boom box-like device for playing and watching movies; and the HP Pavilion dv1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC
-- all expressly designed to simplify the digital living room experience. -- The Apple iPod from HP along with HP Printable Tattoos that enable music lovers to personalize their iPods with album art from the hottest bands and recording artists, or wrap their iPods in their own printable art and photos.
-- New consumer-focused partnerships, go-to-market efforts and advertising.

"At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, we said the real digital revolution was not just about gizmos and gadgets -- it was about making the whole system work better together," said Fiorina. "Our customers have told us they want to easily share, enjoy and preserve their personal experiences -- whether those experiences are photos, music or video. Today, HP is delivering on the first phase of our vision with solutions that make a consumer's digital lifestyle simple and rewarding."

HP makes it easy to create high-quality, affordable photos at home HP is taking digital photography to a whole new level by making it easy and affordable for people to click, print and share high-quality photos. HP's new digital cameras and photo printers, which are supported by a new line of branded inks and specialty papers, make it better, faster and cheaper than ever to print at home and even on the go.

Highlights from HP's new line of digital living room products include:

-- The HP Digital Entertainment Center, which brings high-powered PC capabilities to the home theater system, allowing consumers to easily capture, store and enjoy all of their digital content
-- TV programs, music, videos or photographs -- in a living room setting. The HP Digital Entertainment Center replaces multiple components with a single, easy- to-operate device that fits in the entertainment rack and is simple to use with a remote control.
-- The HP Media Center Extender delivers content wirelessly from any Media Center PC or the HP Digital Entertainment Center to any TV in the house -- giving users the freedom to enjoy their content when and where they want.(2)
-- New HP Flat-Panel Plasma and LCD TVs, including a 42-inch HDTV Plasma, a 42-inch EDTV Plasma, and two LCD TVs (26-inch and 30-inch). The new TVs incorporate the latest image-quality technologies and offer spectacular picture and sound quality and a premium viewing experience -- all in a sleek, piano-black design.
-- The HP Instant Cinema Digital Projector ep9010 offers an integrated, portable projector and DVD player with a 5.1-capable surround-sound system, bringing home the Hollywood sound and visual impact of a big- screen cinematic experience -- anywhere a consumer wants to watch movies.
-- The HP Pavilion dv1000 Series Entertainment Notebook, available with Intel(R) Centrino(TM) Mobile Technology, includes HP's new QuickPlay feature, which allows consumers to watch DVDs or listen to music without booting up. The notebook offers consumers on-the-move access to music, video and photos.

"Unlike other companies moving into the Consumer Electronics / Digital Entertainment space, HP is 'open' -- not only in terms of technology but more importantly in terms of content," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. "They don't believe they need to lock in consumers to win market share, and I think more companies should follow their lead by competing on product and service excellence alone. Their partnerships reflect the widest range of consumer areas, and standards-based options in the CE/DE segment."

Apple iPod + hp: HP rocks the PC

HP also announced the availability of the Apple iPod from HP.(3) Through a strategic partnership with Apple, HP will help bring the world's most popular digital music player to an even broader base of PC users. The Apple iPod from HP will be offered in two variations -- 20 gigabytes (GB) and 40 GB -- and will be available online at hpshopping.com and at most major retailers, including Circuit City, CompUSA, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, Fry's, Amazon.com and Costco. The estimated U.S. street price for the Apple iPod from HP 20 GB is $299 and for the Apple iPod from HP 40 GB is $399.(4)

New HP Printable Tattoos allow consumers to personalize the look of their iPod with album cover art from top bands and recording artists, as well as to create their own personalized artwork and photos printed on Tattoo media via an HP color printer.

The ultra-thin HP Printable Tattoos are easy to apply and remove from the player's exterior. They are durable and water-resistant, which helps protect the iPod from scratches and scuffs as music lovers carry it around. HP is working with industry recording studios to offer consumers access to the latest album art from the newest releases. The HP Tattoo Gallery at www.hp.com/music will be regularly updated with the hottest album art, so consumers can continually personalize their iPod.

Consumers can quickly start enjoying their iPod with the help of HP's unique user guide and an easy-to-follow setup poster. In addition, the Apple iPod from HP is backed by HP's Total Care customer support, which includes one year of phone support and a one-year warranty.

www.hp.com