iTunes 8.2.1 stops Palm Pre from syncing
Summary: Precentral has confirmed that the recently released iTunes 8.2.
Precentral has confirmed that the recently released iTunes 8.2.1 update breaks Palm Pre syncing.
Back in May the Palm Pre was released with an innovative means of syncing with Apple's iTunes software -- it impersonated an iPod.
It took a little longer than expected by Apple yesterday closed that loophole with a minor update that "provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices."
Emphasis added.
Since then Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris confirmed what some Pre owners had already discovered the hard way:
iTunes 8.2.1 is a free software update that provides a number of important bug fixes, It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre. As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.
Let the games begin.
Do you think that Palm will reverse engineer 8.2.1 to re-enable Pre syncing? Or should they just stop playing cat and mouse with Cupertino and develop its own music software?
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Talkback
I say they should develop their own...
Simple. Cheaper.
Neither-
units out there (450,000 or so) who the hell cares? Of course
Palm could do the right thing and license it like Apple has
done with ActiveSync and the Exchange APIs.
Yeah, right
Whatever
That would be like Microsoft telling Tom Tom
Are you serious?
Seriously?
You are aware that iPods are currently in their 6th generation with the second generation iPod touch - not counting the iPod nano, shuffle, and classic. And that the ipod outsells every single portable MP3 player?
And how is it petty that Apple closes that loophole? Let's put YOU, yes you Dorkyman in Apple's place.
Bear with me.
Let's say that over a time period of several years you had developed this piece of software that allows users to download media such as songs, TV shows, and movies to their computers. Let's say that you have spent millions on things like advertising, deals with music, television, and movie studios, physical hardware, and managed to become the premier site to legally download said media. And then you spend the R&D time and money, money on materials, advertisement, etc. to come up with a way for users to carry that with them when they do not have access to a computer. Let's call the software iTunes, the portable device iPod. And eventually you manage to combine your iPod with a phone and call it - oh what the heck - the iPhone. And it sells BIG!
Now some other company decides to make a product that not only imitates the wildly successful iPhone in some respects physically, not only did the cell provider that markets this device bill it as a device that will "kill" your device, they have the audacity to make that piece of software you spend millions of dollars and a lot of time on work with their device without so much as an "may we..."
Pissed yet?
If I was in Apple's place I'd have made that top priority to close that loophole. It's not that I am pro Apple or anti Palm so much as I think it's really crappy business to try to screw over a competitor like that. To me it shows poor ethics and desperation. I think that the Palm Pre without being able to sync with iTunes will be unable to survive on it's own. IF Palm had made a deal with Apple to be able to sync with iTunes then yeah I'd see your point but they didn't... So I guess it sucks to be a pre owner right now.
RE: iTunes 8.2.1 stops Palm Pre from syncing
than there is cheating on exams through college! Sheesh , what's
the big deal?
Cheating the system IS a big deal
I think that was the point...
I think the Pre should impersonate a Zune.
And unless Pre Licenses it with MS
In any case Zune Marketplace sucks.
Who cares?
If they are going to sync then they
What will be interesting is if people who bought the Pre bought it on the selling point that it was allowed to sync with iTunes. Could spell out a CA Lawsuit against Palm or Sprint for false advertising if consumers were lulled into the device because of the ability to sync with iTunes.
RE: iTunes 8.2.1 stops Palm Pre from syncing
or hardware to do something it was never designed to, like
running linux on my ipod, or enabling additional features
on my Canon Digital rebel, but I think it is absolutely
inexcusable for a company the size of Palm or Sony to call
an illegal, or at least dubious, hack a "Feature".
As far as I was aware the USB standard and usb.org were
pretty clear about identifying your device as something it
isn't, or being from a manufacturer you aren't. I'm amazed
they haven't had something to say about it yet.
While I feel for Pre owners, I can't fault Apple for wanting
to break compatibility. Apple spent years developing
iTunes, as a partner to their iThings. It's lazy, and frankly
inexcusable that others would think it's okay to create a
device, without bothering to write sync software for it.
Had some clever sort hacked his pre to offer iTunes
syncing because he preferred iTunes to the palm sync
solution, and offered it to those who were willing to crack
open their Pre, and Apple intentionally broke it, that would
be kinda lame on Apple's part.
But this... totally justified
Yawn...
a. iTunes blows; I hope Palm doesn't continue trying to maintain compatibility with a 20th century piece of junk program
b. DoubleTwist, which syncs a Pre perfectly, doesn't hog system resources, looks an awful lot like iTunes, and also works with iPods!
c. Drag-and-drop
People act like iTunes compatability was essential for the Pre; get over it! In fact, the Pre User's Manual NEVER even mentions iTunes for media sync.
Apple SUCKS..
As a matter of fact
Apple doesn't suck. Your post is lame and pointless. Get over it.
Apple should be fined
meet the same fate. Cutting out competition is the big deal
here.
Apple should be fined
It is not about unfair competition.
It is about openly reverse-engineering iTunes code to be able to make the soft recognize a Palm as an Apple device.
Not cool.
I am a high tech executive and I can tell you that if any of my competitors were to do to us what Palm did to Apple, I would go after them the big way.
Another way to look at it, though is that it is free publicity for Apple.
P.
How do you figure that Apple should be sued?
Apple isn't cutting out the competition, Apple is simply protecting it's own interests. Now IF Apple had somehow made sure that Amazon.com music or movie downloads were not compatable with iTunes then yes your logic would have some real basis, as it is now the only basis your logic has is mad hated for Apple. Let me guess, disgruntled Pre owner?