Apple today launched the iTunes Store (http://www.apple.com/nz/itunes) in New Zealand, giving New Zealanders access to outstanding local music and the same innovative features, breakthrough pricing and seamless integration with iPod that have made iTunes the most popular music jukebox and online music store in the world. Apple today also opened the online Apple Store New Zealand (http://www.apple.co.nz/store), where customers can quickly and conveniently purchase Apple’s complete lineup of innovative products, including the wildly popular iPod digital music player, the critically acclaimed Intel based Mac desktop and notebook computers, the iLife ’06 suite of digital lifestyle applications, a vast assortment of iPod and Mac accessories from Apple and third parties and Mac OS X, the world’s most advanced operating system.
“We’re thrilled to bring the iTunes Store and the online Apple Store to our customers in New Zealand just in time for the holidays,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, in the press release. “With over two million songs, the iTunes Store features the largest catalogue of local and international music in New Zealand, and with the new online Apple Store, it’s easier than ever to shop for everything from a personally engraved iPod to a customised Mac.”
With a catalogue of over two million songs, the iTunes Store features the most music of any digital music store in New Zealand with songs priced at just NZ$1.79, music videos at NZ$3.59 and most albums at NZ$17.99. Exclusive music featured on iTunes includes tracks from New Zealand artists Fat Freddy’s Drop, Brooke Fraser, Tim Finn, The Datsuns and Bic Runga as well as extensive catalogues from New Zealand greats including Shihad, Crowded House, The Black Seeds, Breaks Co-Op, Elemeno P and Dei Hamo. International exclusives on iTunes include albums from The Doors, Faithless, Incubus, Foo Fighters, George Michael and more. The iTunes Store features iTunes Originals from international stars Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ben Harper, Black Eyed Peas and Jack Johnson. The iTunes podcast directory currently features over 65,000 podcasts, including featured New Zealand podcasts from TVNZ, The Voice Booth and Radio NZ.
At the online Apple Store New Zealand, customers can browse and purchase Apple hardware, software, accessories and a large selection of third party products with just a few clicks of a mouse. Customers can custom engrave any iPod through the online Apple Store, and can easily custom configure their Mac to suit their individual needs. With iPod engraving, a new holiday gift guide and the convenience of shopping from home or the office, the online Apple Store is the ideal shopping destination this holiday season. The online Apple Store offers special education pricing to teachers and university and college students.
Additionally, Apple announced that the iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition is now available in New Zealand, only at the new online Apple Store. The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED, available in 4GB and 8GB models, comes in a beautiful red aluminium enclosure and features up to 24 hours of battery life, Apple’s innovative Click Wheel and an incredibly thin and light design. Apple will contribute a portion of proceeds from the sale of each iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED to the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.
iTunes 7 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download immediately (http://www.itunes.com). Purchase and download of content from the iTunes Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Games are available for download and play on the fifth generation iPod.
The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition is available today in a 4GB model for NZ$349 including GST and an 8GB model for NZ$449 including GST through the online Apple Store (http://www.apple.co.nz). All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable. The second generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life and completely skip-free playback.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Armin” for the heads up.]
Great! Next, the last country in North America that does not have an online-store (Mexico) and other countries in Latin America…
It’s not showing up in the Country list.
Can’t they just walk over the border and download music?
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next time, it will be asia.
Good to see that crap is now available down under.
R -if you cross the border and buy tacos;-)
Downer for Kiwis…$449NZ converts to 308 in US dollars (even with the dollar hitting huge lows). The same iPod goes for $249US. Maybe shipping’s free…
I really, really wish they’d find some word other than “thrilled” to use in their press releases
Kewl & about bl00dy time! Yeah iPods are more expensive (that’s what happens when only 1 company is allowed to import Mac stuff), but at least the cost off the songs is the same as the US (US0.99c + Tax = NZ$1.79), sweet
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Welcome aboard New Zealand and have fun this holiday season down there in the world of Apple!
Hey R don’t you guys have to take a boat to get to Canada or something
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$18 an album. Thats better than the 8 GBP I was paying from UK itunes, saving about $6. Sweet.
They can’t walk accross the border anymore. They’re putting up a fence.
Itunes NZ NOW ON LINE 915am
This is bloody marvellous. My wife and I visited New Zealand from Ottawa…the Kiwis are wonderful people and the country is spectacular. The advent of the Apple Store and iTunes for NZ is a really important development. Unfortunately, the Internet services are far behind ours here in Canada, and it’s a big issue in NZ. For tourists, it’s the one thing that bugged us throughout our trip by auto from Bay of Islands down to Invercargill. A real Apple Store in Auckland would be a real plus, preferably in the Parnell area.
FINALLY! Wow.
Woop Woop YAY!! I have been waiting for this!!! THANK YOU APPLE!!
“hortense the Cow”
Yes the internest sucks down here at a max of 4 Mb down and 512 Kb up!!! But that will change in a bout 2-3 years as major companies plan to implement a Gigabit loop right up and down New Zealand, then we would have 1 Gb internet for NZ $200!!!!
Holly crap did we need this, prices were outa hand!!
right mate! welcome to the club.
Ya cheeky bugga
There’s a comment on Internet in OZ too…go to
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20879237-7582,00.html
on view to-day Dec 5 in North America.
This presents an overview of the current situation … here in Ottawa we have both cable and DSL high speed options. Problem in cottage country is have to use telephone and modem.
Yes!!!! ……. for iTunes NZ.
Yes!!!! ……. for the new prices on the online store.
I assume they’re GST inclusive, in which case they’re not too far below what Magnum Mac is currently offering (eg, $1,848-00 vs $1,979-00 for a 17″ 1.83 GHz iMac), so the local resellers should be able to match those prices without too much pain. Perhaps I’m missing something here, but I guess they’ll also be getting better wholesale prices now.
Still a way to go to match prices for, say, equivalent spec Dulls (Macs are worth more anyway), but overall, this is great news.
Not much on there yet. Now, if only I could actually puchase tunes from another country or at least send a gift certificate from itunes to another country… that would be “just in time for the holidays.” Nope, still not allowed.
So, your griping paid off Micro Me?
Yes, allow me a moment of self-delusion where I think I influenced a multi-million dollar US corporation.
[Pause]
Thank you.
Moment of self delusion over.