I thought the HP iPod was the same as the Apple iPod. How can I use an HP iPod with my Mac?

Elsewhere in the iPod Q&A, "What is the difference between the Apple iPod & HP (Hewlett-Packard) iPod?" says:

There is extremely little difference between Windows-compatible Apple iPods and the corresponding models that were offered from Hewlett-Packard. Each are identicial except HP added an HP logo below the Apple logo on the back of each player and shipped their models in a box that matched the design of other HP products.

At the time the HP iPod models were shipped, the now defunct PlaylistMag mentioned that the primary drawback from a Mac perspective is that "you won't be able to call HP for technical support" and in turn, Apple says "HP, not Apple, provides support and service for Hewlett-Packard iPods."

Effectively, if you're a Mac user and want to use an HP iPod, neither Apple nor HP will provide technical support, so you're on your own. This was a major disadvantage at the time and PlaylistMag concluded that:

We don't see much reason for Mac users to purchase an HP-branded iPod unless that iPod is sold at a significant savings and the Mac user is comfortable troubleshooting software issues on their own.

By now the HP iPod is out of warranty, so support probably is a non-issue. However, you may wish to confirm whether or not an extended warranty was purchased, and whether it can be transferred to a new owner, before using it with your Mac. Assuming that the iPod is otherwise functional and your Mac meets the minimum system requirements, you simply need to format the HP iPod for the Macintosh by connecting it to the Mac, launching iTunes 7 (or later, or the older iPod Update utility), and "Restore" the iPod. Please be aware that restoring your iPod will erase all music and other data stored on the device.

Also see:

• What is the difference between the Apple iPod & HP (Hewlett-Packard) iPod?
• Can I use a Mac-formatted iPod on a Windows PC or vice versa?
• What is the difference between "update" and "restore"?

If you received the HP iPod as a "hand me down" from a family member, and there is music on the iPod that he or she might want to keep before you reformat it, you also may wish to read:

• How can I transfer or copy music from my iPod to my computer?
• Can I directly connect two iPods to each other and transfer music?