iTunes 8.2.1 now available for download
Apple released an incremental update to its iTunes software Wednesday afternoon, nixing the Palm Pre's ability to sync with the application.
Last month, Apple warned Pre users that future software updates may kill sync capability with the device. Precentral.net confirmed the impact brought on by iTunes version 8.2.1.
When they unveiled the feature, handset maker Palm boasted about their smartphone's ability to transfer media from iTunes. The feature worked by identifying the smartphone in its hardware ID as an iPod -- a trick Apple warned might not work for long.
"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."
When it released the update Wednesday, Apple was vague about what benefits version 8.2.1 offered users.
"iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices," was all a release note stated.
It is available from Apple's Web site, and also via system update.
The last iteration, version 8.2 of iTunes, was released June 1. It provided support for the iPhone and iPod touch with the 3.0 OS software upgrade. It also included accessibility improvements and bug fixes.
Last month, Apple warned Pre users that future software updates may kill sync capability with the device. Precentral.net confirmed the impact brought on by iTunes version 8.2.1.
When they unveiled the feature, handset maker Palm boasted about their smartphone's ability to transfer media from iTunes. The feature worked by identifying the smartphone in its hardware ID as an iPod -- a trick Apple warned might not work for long.
"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."
When it released the update Wednesday, Apple was vague about what benefits version 8.2.1 offered users.
"iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices," was all a release note stated.
It is available from Apple's Web site, and also via system update.
The last iteration, version 8.2 of iTunes, was released June 1. It provided support for the iPhone and iPod touch with the 3.0 OS software upgrade. It also included accessibility improvements and bug fixes.
Comments
Apple's attempt to block Pre syncing with iTunes as an iPod?
Update states:
iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices.
Apple's attempt to block Pre syncing with iTunes as an iPod?
I'd say it's quite likely this will break Palm's syncing hack. Now iTunes probably uses more than just USB ID to identify the iPod/iPhone.
It is available from Apple's Web site, and also via system update.
Commonly known as Software Update?
My friend has two iPhones, he pays $220 a month. Jesus!
I only pay $10-$20 a month for AT&T voice with their pay as you go.
Got $19 a month broadband.
Update states:
iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices.
Well isn't Pre hacking considered an iTunes bug?
"iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices," was all a release note from Apple stated.
This means it doesn't carelessly dump IBEC and IBSS files during your iPhone 3GS restore into /tmp/ or &TEMP* directories. I can already sense the coming pain.... "I followed your guide but it didn't work! I can't jailbreak anymore! WTF unlock doesn't work anymore!"
Its coming guys... Apple's really serious on jailbreaks now. Its a shame, really is.
Yea, I guess that's what Pre gets for advertising "$1200 cheaper than a iPhone 2 year contract with AT&T"
My friend has two iPhones, he pays $220 a month. Jesus!
I only pay $10-$20 a month for AT&T voice with their pay as you go.
Got $19 a month broadband.
If he pays 220 a month he is exaggerating or lying.
My bill is $172 and I have two iPhones' and one normal phone.
That includes unlimited texting, which is my biggest complaint. I have downloaded over 5 gigs of data on my phone, but im still charged 30 bucks for sending a few MGb of texts.
I'd say it's quite likely this will break Palm's syncing hack. Now iTunes probably uses more than just USB ID to identify the iPod/iPhone.
I wonder if purposely removing it is in Apple?s best interest. I think it may even be in Apple?s best interest to allow other devices to connect to iTunes. My reasoning is two fold.
The app is very common and it?s a key part in the success in the iDevice ecosystem. With so many people using iTunes to manage their music and with the iPod having a monopoly position it?s possible that some places like the EU may look to force Apple to not require iTunes support to use an iDevice. (Hell, they?ve done crazier shit and they don?t have the FairPlay ax to grind to anymore)
Second, If they allow other devices to use iTunes then Apple still has consumers using their app and their iTunes Store, yet they still can?t get videos or apps, which may pull them back to an iDevice in the future. Plus, the iTunes library files and DB are transparent so Palm, albeit with a little effort and cost, could create an app or tie into a 3rd-party app that they can use, bypassing iTunes altogether. While buying a non-iDevice doesn?t benefit Apple, bypassing both Apple?s HW and iTunes benefits them even less; not to mention that Apple has had plenty of time to put the kibosh on the Palm Pre access at this point and haven?t.
Yea, I guess that's what Pre gets for advertising "$1200 cheaper than a iPhone 2 year contract with AT&T".
But that is if you do a direct comparison of services. Since I don?t support SMS and usually don?t more than the minimum minutes per month the price for the Pre and the iPhone offer services at the same cost of $69/month for me. I also get the phone I want and rollover minutes, which is peace of mind I like (I?m under the impression that Sprint doesn?t offer that and I don?t feel like looking it up).
*APPLE ITUNES 'DISABLES DEVICES FALSELY PRETENDING TO BE IPODS'
*APPLE SPOKESWOMAN NATALIE KERRIS SPEAKS IN AN INTERVIEW
*APPLE'S NEW ITUNES SOFTWARE UPDATE DOESN'T SYNC WITH PALM PRE
Yep, it breaks Pre syncing. Search for "#pre" on twitter hehe
That blows my hypothesis.
I wonder if purposely removing it is in Apple?s best interest. I think it may even be in Apple?s best interest to allow other devices to connect to iTunes. My reasoning is two fold.
The app is very common and it?s a key part in the success in the iDevice ecosystem. With so many people using iTunes to manage their music and with the iPod having a monopoly position it?s possible that some places like the EU may look to force Apple to not require iTunes support to use an iDevice. (Hell, they?ve done crazier shit and they don?t have the FairPlay ax to grind to anymore)
Second, If they allow other devices to use iTunes then Apple still has consumers using their app and their iTunes Store, yet they still can?t get videos or apps, which may pull them back to an iDevice in the future. Plus, the iTunes library files and DB are transparent so Palm, albeit with a little effort and cost, could create an app or tie into a 3rd-party app that they can use, bypassing iTunes altogether. While buying a non-iDevice doesn?t benefit Apple, bypassing both Apple?s HW and iTunes benefits them even less; not to mention that Apple has had plenty of time to put the kibosh on the Palm Pre access at this point and haven?t. ...
I had the same thoughts.
I think what Palm did was a bit stupid and a bit underhanded, but I als think it would be in Apple's best interests to let them access iTunes.
Two pieces of the puzzle that are missing at this point are:
- We don't actually know if Apple has completely shut them out.
- We don't know why they did so if they did
For instance they may have shut them out from using a hack only in order to require them to do it "the right way" and be authorised users of the system. This would make sense to me because while you might want to open a restaurant and invite everyone in, you don't want people climbing in the windows at night and just helping themselves.
Secondly, people always forget that large companies like Apple have a whole series of agreements with their partners. It seems to me that this move could easily be engendered by some line in an agreement that says Apple is responsible for policing these kinds of issues. The analogy there is that if I allow a ticket reseller to resell my concert tickets to another company that also will resell them, I want something in writing that they are only going to resell said tickets to licensed resellers.
It's amusing to think that Steve Jobs personally got pissed at his old work-mate and deliberately shut out the Pre from spite, (and that may even be true), but there are a lot of rational explanations as well.
Yep, it breaks Pre syncing. Search for "#pre" on twitter hehe
Oh dear what a shame
... Palm will have to go to the expense of building and supporting their own rival to iTunes now ... maybe they can hire away a few more Apple staff to reverse engineer that too.
It's amusing to think that Steve Jobs personally got pissed at his old work-mate and deliberately shut out the Pre from spite, (and that may even be true), but there are a lot of rational explanations as well.
It is funny. Doesn't BB still sync with iTunes?
Clearly Apple is protecting it's assets with this move. With so many phones trying to be an iPhone and boast a lot of the same features, why wouldn't they? Competition in technology these days seems to consist of a "If you can't beat them, join them" stance instead of actual innovation. It's like American Idol (never seen it, never will) except it's technology.
I think what Palm did was a bit stupid and a bit underhanded, but I als think it would be in Apple's best interests to let them access iTunes.
Let's review something here:
- iTunes includes an unencrypted XML file listing the tracks in iTunes.
- The music is not encumbered by DRM (at least, the new stuff).
- Any desktop application has full access to that XML file, the file system, and the USB bus.
Add it all up, and there's one inescapable conclusion: Palm doesn't need iTunes to perform the sync of iTunes music to the Pre.
So Apple's denying them iTunes access. So what? They can write their own Pre music sync program. Just don't rely on Apple's code doing the work.
Yea, I guess that's what Pre gets for advertising "$1200 cheaper than a iPhone 2 year contract with AT&T"
My friend has two iPhones, he pays $220 a month. Jesus!
I only pay $10-$20 a month for AT&T voice with their pay as you go.
Got $19 a month broadband.
We have three iPhones on a family plan. 1400 minutes a month (with rollover), unlimited messaging for all three phones, and we pay $219.98 a month before all the nonsense gets added on.
That blows my hypothesis.
I think your hypothesis is correct. And spot on.
However, it does not take Steve Jobs' ego into consideration.
I'm sure Jobs is mad not only about Rubinstein leaving Apple, him steering Palm to go head-to-head against the iPod/iPhone universe, but even more so because of Rubinstein's chuzpah to just use iTunes.
In Jobs' universe this simply must stop!
No matter it makes sense or not.
BUT, if they choose NOT to DL the update??
Let's review something here:
- iTunes includes an unencrypted XML file listing the tracks in iTunes.
- The music is not encumbered by DRM (at least, the new stuff).
- Any desktop application has full access to that XML file, the file system, and the USB bus.
Add it all up, and there's one inescapable conclusion: Palm doesn't need iTunes to perform the sync of iTunes music to the Pre.
So Apple's denying them iTunes access. So what? They can write their own Pre music sync program. Just don't rely on Apple's code doing the work.
And THAT is probably exactly why Apple did what it did. No reason for them to get complaints about bad compatibility for PRE devices in iTunes.
Let them write their own software.