Apple146;s iPod is here, but no iTunes

Computer maker Apple Inc launched iPod Mini, the latest version of its popular digital music player, in India on Tuesday but was not sure wh...

Computer maker Apple Inc launched iPod Mini, the latest version of its popular digital music player, in India on Tuesday but was not sure when the web-based music download service 8212; the iTunes Music Store 8212; will be available.

8216;8216;The iPod Mini can store 1,000 CD quality songs and play them on the go without the loss of quality of many other music players,8217;8217; Apple Inc8217;s Asia Pacific portables marketing manager Yeo Eng Yiong said.

8216;8216;There are definite plans to bring iTunes Music Store ITMS to Asia, we only don8217;t know when,8217;8217; he added.

Indian users can play their digital and downloaded music collections on iPod Mini as well as Apple8217;s new fourth generation iPod, once they download iTunes software from ITMS for free.

But India will not have access to Apple8217;s collection of 700,000 paid-for songs from the ITMS website. Those songs come at 99 cents a song in the US, UK, Germany and France.

Yiong said getting the rights to sell music across geographies was a complex business, though Apple was working out 8216;8216;suitable arrangements for all of Asia including India.8217;8217;

The iPod and its various versions have a 31 per cent market share in the US market for digital players. In revenue terms, the iPod contributes 150 per cent the average industry revenue to Apple.

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The iPod Mini carries a price tag of US 249 Rs 20,500, about 50 higher than many available flash MP3 players, but has 16 times more capacity and promises high quality. The fourth generation iPods come for Rs 22,100 for the 20 GB model and Rs 27,400 for the 40 GB version.

An Apple India spokesperson said the WTO8217;s zero-duty regime was eagerly awaited. 8216;8216;About 40 per cent of the iPod8217;s costs in India are excise duties,8217;8217; he said.