Palm fires back at Apple, fixes Pre sync with iTunes
Just a week after Apple killed the Pre's ability to sync with desktop music management client iTunes, Palm has responded with webOS 1.1 -- a software update that again enables Palm's phone to access media from the current version of iTunes.
Palm announced the update Thursday on the company's blog. Pre users can expect the new software to arrive via an over-the-air update.
"Oh, and one more thing: Palm webOS 1.1 re-enables Palm media sync," the post reads. "That?s right -- you once again can have seamless access to your music, photos and videos from the current version of iTunes (8.2.1)."
Last week, Apple released iTunes 8.2.1. In accompanying release notes, the company was vague about what the upgrade actually did, stating only that the update provided "a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices."
But soon after the new version of iTunes was released, Pre users realized that the update had broken their ability to sync music with the software.
Beyond iTunes, webOS 1.1 brings a number of updates focused on business users, including remote wipe, inactivity timeout, improved certificate handling and more for Exchange ActiveSync. The update also provides emoticons in the messaging app.
When they unveiled the handset, Palm boasted about their smartphone's ability to transfer media from iTunes. The feature worked by identifying the Pre in its hardware ID as an iPod -- a trick Apple warned might not work for long.
Last month, Apple warned Pre users that future software updates may kill sync capability with the device.
"Apple designs the hardware and software to provide seamless integration of the iPhone and iPod with iTunes, the iTunes Store, and tens of thousands of apps on the App Store," Apple warned a document released in June. "Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players."
In its blog post, Palm declined to elaborate on how they circumvented the changes presented in iTunes 8.2.1.
Palm announced the update Thursday on the company's blog. Pre users can expect the new software to arrive via an over-the-air update.
"Oh, and one more thing: Palm webOS 1.1 re-enables Palm media sync," the post reads. "That?s right -- you once again can have seamless access to your music, photos and videos from the current version of iTunes (8.2.1)."
Last week, Apple released iTunes 8.2.1. In accompanying release notes, the company was vague about what the upgrade actually did, stating only that the update provided "a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices."
But soon after the new version of iTunes was released, Pre users realized that the update had broken their ability to sync music with the software.
Beyond iTunes, webOS 1.1 brings a number of updates focused on business users, including remote wipe, inactivity timeout, improved certificate handling and more for Exchange ActiveSync. The update also provides emoticons in the messaging app.
When they unveiled the handset, Palm boasted about their smartphone's ability to transfer media from iTunes. The feature worked by identifying the Pre in its hardware ID as an iPod -- a trick Apple warned might not work for long.
Last month, Apple warned Pre users that future software updates may kill sync capability with the device.
"Apple designs the hardware and software to provide seamless integration of the iPhone and iPod with iTunes, the iTunes Store, and tens of thousands of apps on the App Store," Apple warned a document released in June. "Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players."
In its blog post, Palm declined to elaborate on how they circumvented the changes presented in iTunes 8.2.1.
Comments
why don't they just sue them, its invasion of intellectual property, sure looks like palm is spitting in apples face, seems personal. i can't wait for SJ to fire back, but it will be more than a simple itunes upgrade
i'm sure apple has several pre phones to test and figure out how they hacked the itunes thing
why don't they just sue them, its invasion of intellectual property, sure looks like palm is spitting in apples face, seems personal. i can't wait for SJ to fire back, but it will be more than a simple itunes upgrade
They used to let 3rd party MP3 players sync with iTunes; now that there aren't any 3rd party MP3 players left on the market, what's the harm in letting the Palm Pre sync with iTunes?
They used to let 3rd party MP3 players sync with iTunes; now that there aren't any 3rd party MP3 players left on the market, what's the harm in letting the Palm Pre sync with iTunes?
What would be the harm in Palm syncing the music themselves, right out of iTunes' library?
"Gas, ass or grass."
i'm sure apple has several pre phones to test and figure out how they hacked the itunes thing
hardly. and not needed. Palm wasn't too careful to keep the hack a secret.
Apple should right some sort of virus thing that hits your Pre when you sync it like they wrote the iWork one =P
they didn't write the iwork one. or the photoshop one. and they have better things to do with their time.
Palm needs to stop being such rank amateurs and write their own sync software.
on the one hand, I agree that they need to write their own software. on the other, if they are going to insist on this itunes thing they aren't being very smart. given the popularity of the ipod, why hasn't anyone tried to file an anti-trust suit to stop Apple from being able to tie the itunes software to only their ipods.
Regardless, the ball's in Apple's proverbial court.
given the popularity of the ipod, why hasn't anyone tried to file an anti-trust suit to stop Apple from being able to tie the itunes software to only their ipods.
I think someone has tried that. And it doesn't work, since the iTunes+iPod/iPhone combination doesn't violate any anti-trust laws. It's their software and their hardware, they are free to do as they please. And if customers don't like that, they're free to use different software and hardware.
They used to let 3rd party MP3 players sync with iTunes; now that there aren't any 3rd party MP3 players left on the market, what's the harm in letting the Palm Pre sync with iTunes?
Apple made iTunes for iPod sales.
Apple doesn't make money from the Palm Pre.
You want to use Apple products? BUY AN iPHONE/iPod.
Otherwise stop whining......
I'm tired of people who whine "it's not fair we can't do this" attitude and then hack in. If you pay the premium, you GET THE PREMIUM. Simple as that. Stop being juvenile, Palm. I trashed my Treo years ago because it didn't keep up with the times (mostly software).
Pre should just make their own service or work out a deal with Rhapsody.
why don't they just sue them, its invasion of intellectual property,[/QUOTE]
So then why doesn't Microsoft sue Apple for reverse engineering NTFS? Reverse engineering is not automatically illegal. The world would be even more dependent to Microsoft otherwise. This just makes Apple look like they're scared or being petty or both.
Apple is not bound to support the Palm Pre or any other device.
And who loses out from Palm's idiocy? Pre users. Who gets to feel frustrsted on a regular basis? Pre users. Good work, Palm.
They used to let 3rd party MP3 players sync with iTunes; now that there aren't any 3rd party MP3 players left on the market, what's the harm in letting the Palm Pre sync with iTunes?
If iTunes was only written for Macs, then I'd agree with you that Apple should let their Mac users use the Pre. But since iTunes is also available for the PC, that indicates that iTunes is developed first and foremost for Apple's pocket devices (iPod, iPhone), and Pre is not one of them.
Apple has not precluded its competitors from accessing the same library of songs on a PC or Mac, through development of their own software. Pre should do the honorable thing and just write the software for their Pre (and future WebOS device) owners.
This is childish and puts Palm on the same level of respectability as Real Networks. (I wonder if Jon Rubinstein also disagreed with the way Apple handled Real, and whether that was just another item that signaled his need to be moved out of Apple.)
In many respects, Apple are doing similar. iTunes is incredibly dominant, and they are using that dominance to tie people to their products. Whilst it's not as bad as what Microsoft were upto, if they are not careful anti-trust people will start sniffing around.
Someone gave my wife a Zen Stone for running last year. It is great and just what she needed but I can't us it with iTunes so I'm left with hacking the music in or shelling out more money for a Shuffle. That is BS. I mean I love Apple products, own quite a few, iPhone(2), Touch, Nano, Mac Minis, MacBook but it pisses me off when another company has a great product and it won't work with an Apple product because of Apple. You suck Apple when it comes to playing fair.
Until Apple breaks Pre syncing AGAIN.
Apple is not bound to support the Palm Pre or any other device.
And who loses out from Palm's idiocy? Pre users. Who gets to feel frustrsted on a regular basis? Pre users. Good work, Palm.
I would think that since Apple allows RIM to sync the Blackberry and isn't allowing PALM to sync the PRE it's more a case of very bad for Apple's Image along with slave labor they use to manufacture the phone.
Allow Blackberry
Don't Allow Palm Pre
Can anyone say EU anti Trust?
You are celebrating "PRE" Maturely.
More than half of a new platform like the Pre is convincing people that your company can write amazing software.
It seems to me that the message they?re sending right now is that, although they think they?re good, there?s no point in competing with Apple. The best they can do is fasten down, leech-like, and suck as hard as possible, while they can. They expect to get dislodged from time to time, but they also expect to re-attach more firmly someplace else next time--hoping no doubt that with each new place they latch on, they?ll be harder to dislodge.
Never mind that they?re callously sacrificing their actual customers to a back and forth of I-can-sync-wait-no-I-can?t!
The funny thing is that they?ll manage to get a lot of people loudly angry at Apple. Hardly any of their users will actually blame Palm for the inconvenience.
Oh. I see we?ve got one of those posts already. Didn?t take long.
sdfisher has already pointed out that iTunes puts the playlist and song data in an XML file, so Palm should be able to able to sync without using hacks. But they seem to prefer hacks. And that?s pretty disappointing. I was hoping we were going to have genuine competition. All we actually got was leeches and ticks. Oh well.