Ever since it became clear that the "Apple iPod from HP" only differs from the classic Apple version by having different support coverage, Windows-oriented packaging, and an additional logo on its back, you may have been wondering why it even exists. After all, if you can't even get one in it's originally-planned hue of corpse-blue, what's the point?

Well, okay, you're not really wondering that, because you know full well that the real difference between Apple's iPod and HP's cobranded version is that HP has distribution deals in place with a whole lot more resellers. So while you'd never find an Apple product in a dump like Radio Shack (no flames, please-- we happen to like Radio Shack, but c'mon, going there to buy an iPod would feel a little like shopping for groceries at the 99-cent store), before long HP ones will be gracing the shelves of that fine establishment, no doubt nestled snugly between the air compressors and the radio-controlled cars. Considering that the Shack used to make you give them your phone number just to buy a pair of AA batteries, one can only imagine what sort of personal info they'll require before they'll let you walk out of there with an iPod; social security number, mother's maiden name, ATM PIN, full medical history, and date of and circumstances surrounding loss of virginity, we're guessing. For a start.

But if this whole "Apple iPod from HP" thing leads to an even more firmly entrenched lead in the portable digital music player market, hey, we're all for it, because the iPod's dominance is really the only thing standing in the way of the iTunes Music Store eventually getting crushed like a Rice Krispie under the sheer market weight of whatever Microsoft's calling its music thingy this week. And what better way to push 'Pods to the masses than to sell them at the monster of all retail monsters, Wal-Mart? That's right, kiddies, HP iPods have already surfaced at Wal-Mart's online store; of course, it's labeled "Online Only," so this may not have quite the market effect we'd hoped for, but it's a start.

Even better, though, is the way that this deal underscores just how strong a force the iPod is in the first place. You probably recall that Wal-Mart has its own music download store-- and one that undercuts the rest (as Wal-Mart so often does) by selling songs for 88 cents a pop instead of the near-ubiquitous 99 cents. Well, as you would expect, the "Microsoft of Retail" sells its songs in protected Windows Media format, which is, of course, completely incompatible with Macs, but more to the point, also unplayable on iPods. To that end, Wal-Mart's iPod page includes a big, red Important Note: "This player is not compatible with Wal-Mart Music Downloads."

In other words, the iPod is so white-hot that Wal-Mart can't not sell them, even if it means undermining the company's own music download service. From a money standpoint, of course, we're sure it's a no-brainer; at 88 cents a track, Wal-Mart must be barely breaking even on song sales, whereas iPods are big business. Still, it's sort of fun to watch an iTMS competitor (lame as it is) actively sabotage itself while promoting Apple's technologies instead.