Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday announced that
Founder, a major supplier of personal computers to the Chinese market, will pre-install the Windows version of Apple"s iTunes software on all of its PCs beginning next month. With iTunes installed, users of Founder PCs will be able to copy music from their own audio CDs, create playlists, share the music of Local Area Networks (LANs) using Rendezvous, and listen to that music on the iPod, Apple"s popular digital music player.
This is the first such partnership Apple has announced with a PC maker since a deal with Hewlett-Packard was unveiled in January. Apple and HP"s deal included the installation of iTunes on certain HP consumer PCs, as well as the manufacture of an HP-branded iPod that will go on sale later this year. Apple"s announcement with Founder includes iTunes only, not the iPod.