The shot on the left shows an iPod which wants to connect to its iTunes desktop service – Palm’s Pre is one of the few handsets which can pull the same trick. Apple has blocked the critter out of iTunes in the past; but Palm has swiftly released an update which solved the eeker.
AllThingsD now quotes a Palm spokesperson as follows:
…
Palm believes that openness and interoperability offer better experiences for users by allowing them the freedom to use the content they own without interference across devices and services, so on behalf of consumers, we have notified the USB Implementers Forum of what we believe is improper use of the Vendor ID number by another member.”
…
First of all: I personally don’t think that the USB implementers Forum will do too much about the problem, as it has nothing to do with the USB standard or protocol. But – I feel that the real issue is somewhere else.
Whenever a Pre head buys something off iTunes, Apple gets richer. I personally think that this is not beneficent to Palm – and Apple knows this perfectly well. For them, it’s not about locking out other devices for good: all they IMHO want to achieve is the creation of FUD around the issue. For them, users should think that a Pre is a “second-class iTunes citizen”…if they then still want a Pre, so be it.
What do you think?
P.S: If Apple really wants to lock Palm out: change protocol, release update for all iPods, add hardware encryption, sayonara.
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Once Apple makes a decision like this, they tend to do everything they can to enforce it.
It’s clear to me that Apple doesn’t want them there; so they will shut them out. Period.
Also keep in mind that iTunes music store isn’t about selling music/videos/etc; it’s about selling iPods (and now iPhones).
But it isn’t only about selling iPods, the revenue from music, video and app sales is significant.
I see this ending with Palm paying to licence iTunes syncing from Apple. Yes they are competitors in the mobile device arena but if Pre users are buying content through iTunes, Apple wins as well.
If Palm had just approached Apple from the get-go, then this wouldn’t have been a problem. Tricking software into thinking your device is an iPod has to be a violation of some sorts, right?
Using a software \trick\ to get your device to work with someone else’s software isn’t ethical. I find it ironic Palm is crying \foul\ over this.
Does Apple want money from its iTunes store? Yes. Did Palm consult with Apple to get some sort of interoperability between Pre and iTMS? No. Would Apple have consented to let Palm access iPod USB API’s had Palm asked? Probably not, but one can’t say for sure. Did Palm trick iTunes software into thinking its Pre was an iPod? Yes. Did Palm advertise this \feature\ as an advantage to owning the Pre? Yes.
I just don’t see this as such an \evil Apple being unfair to poor ol’ Palm\ issue. I own Apple products (MacBook Pro, iBook G4, Power Mac G4, iPod 5th gen.), and I also have a Treo 700p (and a TX, Handspring Visor Deluxe, Visor Pro, Visor Edge, and Sony Clie TJ37(?)). I’d like both companies to do well, and coexist. Competition between Pre and iPhone is a good thing; everyone wins (or at least that’s how I’d like to think it happens).
Hi,
I am not too sure how much longer Apple will fight Palm over this issue to be honest…
I mean, they have little to loose. People kn ow that Pres are second-class citizens on iTunes…what more do they want?
All the best
Tam Hanna