As previously reported on MacMinute, Hewlett Packard said Thursday that it would begin selling a branded version of Apple’s iPod and bundling iTunes with its desktops and notebooks as part of a new partnership. According to the New York Times, the agreement between HP and Apple “was completed only after an extensive bargaining session that ran long into Wednesday night between Carleton S. Fiorina, Hewlett’s chief executive, and Apple’s Steven P. Jobs.” The Times also said the deal “represents a significant departure for both companies” and “for the first time, Mr. Jobs has stepped away from the self-enclosed Apple-only strategy he has pursued since he returned to run the company in 1997. Meanwhile, Hewlett, the second-largest computer maker in the world, has put its software partner, Microsoft, on notice that it will not necessarily follow its lead in every case.”