Apple drops Palm OS HotSync conduit from Snow Leopard
Apple has discontinued support for legacy Palm OS devices in Mac OS X Snow Leopard's iSync 3.1.0, according to sources familiar with the latest Gold Master build, requiring users of Palm OS devices to obtain third party support for syncing their Palm Desktop information with Mac OS X's Sync Services.
Palm continues to provide a very old version of Palm Desktop 4.2.1D for Mac users, enabling legacy Palm Centro, Treo, Zire, Tungsten, LifeDrive, and Pilot models to synchronize with its Mac OS X Universal Binary desktop software. That software is based upon what was originally Apple's Claris Organizer, which Steve Jobs sold to Palm over a decade ago as Apple divested itself of its already long in the tooth Claris apps.
In concert with launching its Macs as the "digital hub" and selling the iPod, Apple developed iSync for Mac OS X, which enabled devices from any manufacturer to sync their data with a common store shared by desktop apps including iCal and Address Book. It eventually allowed users to also sync that information with Apple's .Mac service, now called MobileMe.
Palm never bothered to update its Palm Desktop for Mac software to make it compatible with Apple's iSync, but Apple, in an effort to keep Macs compatible with Palm's device, created its own Palm Conduit software that linked Palm Desktop's HotSync system into iSync. This software was then incorporated as part of iSync 2.0, released as part of Mac OS X Tiger nearly half a decade ago.
With Palm all but abandoning its "classic" devices developed prior to the new Palm Pre, which does not use the same legacy Palm OS nor its HotSync or Palm Desktop software, the value of maintaining HotSync support in Mac OS X has dropped dramatically, leaving Apple to cut the support from the version that ships with Mac OS X Snow Leopard entirely.
It does not appear that the discontinuation of legacy Palm OS support in iSync is at all related to efforts by Palm to trick iTunes into syncing data with the new Palm Pre as if it were an iPod. While Apple doesn't provide a public syncing system for using iTunes, it does provide public APIs for any developer to hook into Mac OS X's Sync Services.
Third party software, including the Missing Sync from Mark/Space, enables Mac users to sync calendars, contacts, bookmarks, music, documents and other information between older Palm OS devices as well as other hardware including the new Palm Pre, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile phones and the Sony PlayStation Portable.
Palm continues to provide a very old version of Palm Desktop 4.2.1D for Mac users, enabling legacy Palm Centro, Treo, Zire, Tungsten, LifeDrive, and Pilot models to synchronize with its Mac OS X Universal Binary desktop software. That software is based upon what was originally Apple's Claris Organizer, which Steve Jobs sold to Palm over a decade ago as Apple divested itself of its already long in the tooth Claris apps.
In concert with launching its Macs as the "digital hub" and selling the iPod, Apple developed iSync for Mac OS X, which enabled devices from any manufacturer to sync their data with a common store shared by desktop apps including iCal and Address Book. It eventually allowed users to also sync that information with Apple's .Mac service, now called MobileMe.
Palm never bothered to update its Palm Desktop for Mac software to make it compatible with Apple's iSync, but Apple, in an effort to keep Macs compatible with Palm's device, created its own Palm Conduit software that linked Palm Desktop's HotSync system into iSync. This software was then incorporated as part of iSync 2.0, released as part of Mac OS X Tiger nearly half a decade ago.
With Palm all but abandoning its "classic" devices developed prior to the new Palm Pre, which does not use the same legacy Palm OS nor its HotSync or Palm Desktop software, the value of maintaining HotSync support in Mac OS X has dropped dramatically, leaving Apple to cut the support from the version that ships with Mac OS X Snow Leopard entirely.
It does not appear that the discontinuation of legacy Palm OS support in iSync is at all related to efforts by Palm to trick iTunes into syncing data with the new Palm Pre as if it were an iPod. While Apple doesn't provide a public syncing system for using iTunes, it does provide public APIs for any developer to hook into Mac OS X's Sync Services.
Third party software, including the Missing Sync from Mark/Space, enables Mac users to sync calendars, contacts, bookmarks, music, documents and other information between older Palm OS devices as well as other hardware including the new Palm Pre, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile phones and the Sony PlayStation Portable.
Comments
Indeed. Remaining Treo/Tungsten users are going to have to scramble to find a new solution. All three of you.
Thats funny
As the article mentions, those same 3rd party devs will keep you going if you get 10.6.
This was not a blow to Palm. They want you to buy a Pre. They own and want to sell you Web OS.
Apple has discontinued support for legacy Palm OS devices in Mac OS X Snow Leopard's iSync 3.1.0, according to sources familiar with the latest Gold Master build...
Just what build is the GM now?! 10A432, I assume? Could anyone verify this once and for all?
Indeed. Remaining Treo/Tungsten users are going to have to scramble to find a new solution. All three of you.
Very nice!
(which was based on Apple's Claris Organizer from over a decade ago)
_BETTER_ than Apple's iCal !
It had many more features and options. It had MUCH better and faster data entry and was better at creating reoccurring events and events spanning multiple dates. Had MANY more print options.
Apple has not done a whole lot of development with iCal in recent years. Pretty stagnant.
Maybe this is their time for them to get to work.
Another Palm smackdown from Apple!
How so? Apple continued supporting PalmOS devices long after Palm had forgotten them. I'm just surprised they'd kept iSync support for Palm this long.
I've just recently retired my Sony Clie (PalmOS 5.0) for a 3GS, and the only reason I'd kept the Clie that long is that there hasn't been a Palm branded PalmOS device worth the trouble of owning.
Perhaps now Palm will realise that they've had their time in the sun, and will soon fade quietly into obscurity.
Indeed. Remaining Treo/Tungsten users are going to have to scramble to find a new solution. All three of you.
Actually, I still have a nice treo 755P. There's just nothing else that I can buy that I can take my Quicken along with me. At any rate.. I switched over to Missing Sync when I upgraded to Leopard because Syncing was so disjunct when Leopard came out. They never got it completely working. When I switched over to Missing, I wondered why I waited so long. It works flawlessly. I had to re-arrange the folders and programs to a more "mac" like organization, but other than that it works great. It does Categories in address book, photos, pretty much everything.
Thanks.
...Palm never bothered to update its Palm Desktop for Mac software to make it compatible with Apple's iSync, but Apple, in an effort to keep Macs compatible with Palm's device, created its own Palm Conduit software that linked Palm Desktop's HotSync system into iSync
I actually like the Palm Desktop Calender
Good riddance. POS was making my Mac unstable when I was dedicating my PDA/Smartphone years with Palm.
Palm was a great platform, I still use my Sony Clie from 2003. (the one based on the 68000 chip- the CPU of the Mac Classic!)
Syncing with Palm Desktop Mac is still possible I assume.
I prefer Palm Desktop on PCs, I switched from Mac to PC to support my 'legacy' stuff.
Another Palm smackdown from Apple!
No doubt! How's Palm gonna respond? They'll probably drop support for iTunes - oh wait they want that.