iTunes 8.2.1 brings Pre's music syncing capability to a halt (updated)
by Chris Ziegler 
posted Jul 15th 2009 at 7:37PM
Update: Apple's now gone beyond the "verification of Apple devices" phrase, calling out the Pre by name in a statement issued to BusinessWeek: "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." In other words, "we told you this was going to happen, and it did." For its part, Palm appears to have re-issued the same statement it made a while back, saying that Apple's move is a "direct blow" to its users. Words are one thing, but here's the real question: is there a quick counterstrike fix planned from Palm's side?
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Palm, Apple, webOS
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
stayinclassy @ Jul 15th 2009 2:43PM
well it was a fun ride while we have it. hopefully the door will get opened again. Perhaps Apple is starting to feel slightly threatened by these other devices
Ricky R! @ Jul 16th 2009 3:50AM
I hope apple ad palm play cat & mouse for a while, yet I really hope it ultimatly end with Apple releasing a patch that bricks Palm Pre's hahaha
then maybe they'll make their own software otherwise mayb they can try and piggy back off of the Zune Market Place
trainwrecka @ Jul 16th 2009 8:09AM
Apple makes money off of hardware first, software second. They make pennies on music downloads, so it makes perfect sense that they would stop someone else's hardware from syncing with software they made. The software was given away for free to promote hardware sales, not Pre sales. This is how business works.
Galen20K @ Jul 15th 2009 2:54PM
Fine, but they(Apple) are shooting themselves in the foot. More people using their service would be better for their Ignorant selves. Yes they are Threatened by other companies, they always have been. THat's why they put up this "Better than Thou" front because of the fact they are Insecure in the Marketplace.
That'll never change anyway.
Tired_ @ Jul 15th 2009 3:07PM
This is a dumb move on Apple's part. If I had been them, I would have waited to roll this quietly into a larger update. Now it just looks like Pre scares them (at least, more than all the crappy MP3 players from other companies that have done this for years).
bdenglish @ Jul 15th 2009 3:14PM
Kind of a dick move on apple's part
scott @ Jul 21st 2009 3:19PM
Which is to say, "Kind of an Apple move on Apple's part."
Carter @ Jul 15th 2009 4:49PM
These posters above me are idiots. What's the difference between what apple's doing vs microsoft's zune. You can't go syncing an ipod to the zune store can you? The software/hardware relationships have been out forever now. Why is this any different? Apple definitely isn't scared of the pre. Palm has been struggling for years!
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 2:58PM
Zune store? What does that have to do with anything?
The post was about syncing with iTunes, the application - not the iTunes store.
That said, PALM certainly took an unprofessional approach in their sync strategy. What they SHOULD have done is to release their own software (something like "Nokia Multimedia Transfer") to synchronize w/iTunes, iPhoto, etc.
Drew @ Jul 15th 2009 4:23PM
Gotta love how Apple rains on the parade of the consumers. Douche bags...
Mr. Joshua @ Jul 15th 2009 5:18PM
Guess I won't be updating iTunes anytime soon.
Philly Z! @ Jul 16th 2009 3:38AM
Must suck to be a cheap Pre owner?
Nevermind Everyday must Suck being a pre owner lol,
but on the bright side you have a Hot spokesperson
hahahahaha I kid around the Palm Pre Spokeswomen is creeper than a Corpse and just as pale as one
So Pre owners rememmber to use your Sharp keyboard to slit your wrist long ways it's the quickest way to end your sad Life, or go trash your Dump of a phone and pick up a cool iPhone or Blackberry
RonMac @ Jul 15th 2009 5:12PM
Can anyone say Napolean Complex?
Jonathan Bardi @ Jul 15th 2009 5:32PM
You guys are stupid... this has nothing to do with the Pre... the blocking of the Pre was just a side effect of Apple stopping the iPhone 3GS from being Jailbroken. The encrypted verification scheme was in place for the 3GS, but the encryption keys were being dumped to the temp folder, which was necessary to jailbreak the 3GS. Now that they shored up that hole, it just happened to also block the Pre... get over yourselves... the only whiners are the Pre owners that were enjoying the good life off the back of the iTunes developers... Pre needs to make its own program and quit standing on the shoulders of geniuses!
bdenglish @ Jul 16th 2009 10:43AM
"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."
Keep drinking the kool-aid
Jamie Smith @ Jul 15th 2009 6:00PM
All of my computers and phones are made by Apple, and this is still Horse S***! I hate how totalitarian apple is with their products, and (now) software. They have no issue in trying to get windows defectors to consider a Mac, or even let them run Windows on a mac, but god forbid someone make a product that has a chance to compete with their baby/phone. The apple products are killer, but I want them to stay that way, and encourage all the competition they can get.
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:05PM
This is the precise reason why I don't and will never own an iPhone.
- Not available unlocked (to use with any GSM carrier)
- Can only install applications from the Apple-controlled iTunes store (no 3rd party web browser, mail reader, turn-by-turn navigation software, etc)
- Useless Bluetooth stack - most profiles disabled, including DUN (tethering), HID (keyboard), OBEX (send/receive regular files, business cards, etc), AVRCP (partially implemented)
- No access to filesystem (i.e. no file browser)
- Only Apple applications can run concurrently (no multitasking)
The whole thing smacks of control. "Live in your walled garden and be happy!"
I'm sticking to my Nokia N97; it may have a klunkier user interface - but is tremendously more capable and open.
lockstocked @ Jul 15th 2009 6:22PM
does palm have any software like nokia's multimedia transfer to move all the music vids and pics? was just wondering
BigTallGuy @ Jul 15th 2009 6:28PM
Isn't it possible Apple's content contracts state that all media must be played on an Apple engineered device only, so allowing the Pre to sync would be in breach of said contract?... Just a thought
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:15PM
No, this was never the case (not even with DRM). The content owners (music/movie studios) imposed restrictions on what type of device and how many devices you could play on, but not on the manufacturing of those devices. It was Apple's own decision to keep their DRM closed (partly due to fear of their secret keys getting out in the open).
It certainly is not the case now. I regularly sync music that I have bought through the iTunes store, Amazon, and elsewhere to my Nokia N97 - all using my Mac. I also never bought DRM-encumbered music.
CJ @ Jul 15th 2009 6:46PM
What's the big deal? RIM has Media Sync, Nokia also has an in-house solution as lockstocked mentioned, and there's some 3rd party apps too. You can't plug your BB, Nokia, SE, or HTC device and have Apple iTune recognize it and do a sync. If I'm missing something lemme know, I'm a bit of a noob :).
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Jul 15th 2009 9:41PM
the big deal is that other companies get permission to add this functionality to their devices while Palm just up and did it. now i'm a Palm supporter, Treo owner, and future Pre owner and i say that it really wasn't as big a deal as Apple made it out to be. so what if another device can sync with your software? it just means more downloads in THEIR store. i'm much more likely personally to download something if i know it can work across alot of devices.
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:16PM
"Look, ma, the emperor has no clothes!"
I agree with you. I think you are pointing out what should be obvious to us all.
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:20PM
SoCoolCurt:
It is not the case that other manufacturers "got permission" from Apple to develop their own sync solutions -- rather, they followed published APIs do to so. Nokia Multimedia Transfer, for instance, is a native menu bar applet for Mac OS X that talks to your phone on one end and to iTunes/iPhoto/Safari on the other, using standard Apple events.
What Palm did was to "fake" the device type/identification, to claim to be an 'iPod'. This is not only unprofessional, it *will* break. Also it smacks of a Marketing, rather than Engineering decision.
Jordan @ Jul 15th 2009 7:13PM
I have a problem with Apple on this one. Who the Fu** cares if the pre syncs with iTunes. A person is going to buy a pre whether it does or not, they could really care less about the syncing. Allowing iTunes syncing could even bring Apple more money through the app store...if the pre could play that stupid apple format that is, I'm not sure if it can or not. As long as people are using Apple's software, iTunes, why do they really care.
This is just another case of how closed Apple is from the rest of the world. Once you buy their products or use their software they make it near impossible for you to use anything else from any other company. I know this isn't the correct thread, but I've heard rumors of Apple designing their own chips for the tablet? No thank you, I will not buy no matter what. Too much of a monopoly for Apple.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Jul 15th 2009 9:43PM
i agree completely. it's not like iTunes compatability was the deciding factor on any Pre fence sitters. there are still ways around it anyway.
estrouse @ Jul 15th 2009 8:34PM
At Jonathan Bardi - you might have a valid point as to why this update came out, but at the same time, why is Apple so devastated and hard set on stopping its consumers who want to customize their baby smartphone? That's what a great deal of smartphone users want to do... And if their consumers want to do this, and they continuously block them from doing so, don't you think they'll go to the open source platforms that are just as good as the iPhone? Apple is no longer the only flashy UI, and it's a matter of time before they lose business as a direct result. Apple created A LOT of competition, yet they won't be able to keep up with it because they still don't get it. WinMo gets it. Their platform is MEANT to be customized by carriers and is hacked (positively) by a huge population of users... Android gets it, kinda... And then Palm - purposely designing a web based platform... c'mon...
Then, in combination to them blocking other devices from syncing, they are going to lose their music consumer population as well. The pre downloads straight from Amazon, which happens to be CHEAPER than iTunes 90% of the time. As the poster Jamie mentioned (which I loved btw), they use Apple products, but are disgusted by the company's behavior... See how that can affect its consumer population? They are digging themselves into a hole with the smarter/older generations/techie based generations. They will continue to market to their teenagers who are impressed by flash and trend, but are going to lose long term.
Apple continues to disgust me man.
Doax @ Jul 15th 2009 8:38PM
Wow... I don't use itunes so it won't really make a difference to me. But I hope the justice dept or whoever is in charge of it deems that Apple is being anti-competitive in the mp3 market. Because their dictator mentality goes far beyond Microsoft in how closed off and unaccomodating they are with competition in the markets they are successful. Here's to hoping Dictator Apple and their Naziphone gets their butts handed to them.
AngelNoMoon @ Jul 15th 2009 9:19PM
So, what's the big deal about iTunes? I've never used it, I never will. I'm much too happy using WinAmp. Further, syncing works really well via WinAmp's portable method and I can even deal with podcasts via it. So what's the big deal anyway? WinAmp and the VLA music player, are both better and less system resource eating than the iTunes anyhow.
And no one is spending an exorbitant amount of money on lossy (M4A) formats in any case.
I'll just load up a different music player.
el Hefe Weizen @ Jul 15th 2009 9:23PM
Boo frickin' hooooooo...............My pwecious pwe will not work with iTunes (sad face)
Apple & Palm should just play nice; either that or Apple should just come out and provide this statement (that I got from hacking into Steve Jobs Cranial server)
"During the verification process we noticed one or more of your devices were not pushed from betwixt Steve Jobs' futuruterus [fyoo-cher yoo-tuh-rus] (yes we are apple and we can make our own words). Please re-consider your electronics purchase and come back when you have shunned anything that does not start with "Ah" and ends with "Pull." We would also like to remind you that if you aren't part of our revolution, well, you are just un-American." JobSpeed
Maire @ Jul 15th 2009 10:33PM
Why is Apple so angry that even its competitors' products use iTunes? Does the added user base really offend them so?
Terence @ Jul 15th 2009 10:51PM
Welcome to the world of Apple and why Microsoft is still on top in its business: crippled software that Apple requires the user to do it "Apple's way" and not "your way" in regard to hardware, software, and its line-up of devices. Welcome to iTunes, iPhone, and Apple at large :).
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:25PM
Hogwash - Microsoft is even worse in this regard.
What Apple has done here is to fix a bug, where if some device claimed to be an Apple iPod there was no verification of this. That's what Palm did, and quite frankly, it is not good coding OR professional conduct.
Apple DOES publish an API for interacting with iTunes/iPhoto etc - that's what's used by other third party device software (e.g. Nokia Multimedia Transfer).
Microsoft, in contrast, are a lot less open with releasing APIs to interact with their own solutions. For instance, there is no "published" way for third parties to generate office-compatible documents (I'm not talking about .csv, .txt, etc - but about fully featured documents). They have re-invented web standards (e.g. HTML, JavaScript,etc) in order to explicitly break third party tools and software. This is the very practice they were found guilty of in the anti-trust lawsuit earlier this decade.
Joel Purvis @ Jul 16th 2009 12:12AM
Nice statement apple. "Falsely pretending"? As opposed to devices that are truly pretending? Does that mean that it really is an iPod but it's pretending not to be? I think Apple is falsely pretending to be a bunch of douches.
haX0r @ Jul 16th 2009 2:31AM
There is always a way around stuff like this: http://twitter.com/FoneFrenzy/status/2656411512
Philly Z! @ Jul 16th 2009 3:29AM
I'm really mad at Apple!!! Why didn't they use the pre's sync function to some how brick those piece of Sh** Palm handsets????
If I were apple I would have had a new iTunes update to brick devices that aren't apple products, if you Pre owners want iTunes functionality go Buy an iPhone you cheap Sprint lovers!!!!
BTW, question for all ppl posting on this article but, if you want your random hardware to work with a Media player maybe create your own, Hmmmmm
Palm Pre owners Demand your Half bankrupt Palm company create a Media syncing software for yourselves and stop using other ppl's hard work
John Tele @ Jul 16th 2009 3:55AM
@Philly Z
your totally right, Apple brick those Crappy Pre's!!!!
BTW, I love my iPhone 3GS mmhmmm 32gigs can't be beat
Love my Jesus Phone!!!!!!
soydeedo @ Jul 16th 2009 3:57AM
You have severe issues, man. Just saying.
Philly Z! @ Jul 16th 2009 4:21AM
@Soydeedo
sorry I'm a hard working American and I get pissed when Dirty Liberals take all my money in the form of taxes and he'll they didn't work like me I work hard 4 my money just like apple worked hard on iTunes so y should that dirty broke a** palm piggy backing of apples hard work like all those liberals digging into my pockets to pay 4 their Socialized medicine and B.S. Bailouts!!! Where is my bail out?
S Smith @ Jul 16th 2009 2:50PM
Thats weak...I have a mac, and I like apple stuff, but i dont see the need to keep every other mp3 player including my palm pre from syncing with iTunes...Apple communists
killerborn @ Jul 16th 2009 3:03PM
guys don't be hating allright
el Hefe Weizen @ Jul 16th 2009 4:49PM
Have you been waiting your whole life to make that statement?
Are you also one that is trying so desperately to start the slow clap of encouragement?
"Don't be hating alright?"
Bless your little soul
boss-hogg @ Jul 16th 2009 3:04PM
did you not see this one coming? its Apple they don't want anyone else to get paid
Tor Slettnes @ Jul 16th 2009 3:42PM
Guys,
Many of the posts here show a lack of understanding as far as the actual issue. This is NOT about big evil monopolist vs. little guy trying to get a foot in the door. This, quite simply, is about dirty vs. clean coding.
What Palm did was to fake identification strings in the Pre, to make it appear to be an Apple iPod. This is not only morally repugnant and unprofessional, it is also a really poor (likely marketing, not engineering driven) decision. What Apple did in response was to fix a bug - or a vulnerability if you will - in iTunes.
What Palm SHOULD have done is precisely what other device manufacturers HAVE done - to release a synchronization tool for the Mac, using published APIs (in the OS, Applications) to do so. A good example of how it SHOULD be done is Nokia Multimedia Transfer.
Full disclosure. I own a Mac, and use one at work as well. They are really nice computers - thanks in part to the open-source Darwin operating system underneath. I would never use an iPhone -- although the UI is nice and it has filled in a lot of glaring gaps as far as functionality goes, it is still much less capable than other devices thanks in part to its closed nature. (Examples: Tethering, Bluetooth stack incl. keyboard, SIM lock, multitasking, and only being able to install applications from the Apple-controlled iTunes store). Jailbreaking, for the same reasons I listed above, is not an acceptable mode of operation or excuse.
el Hefe Weizen @ Jul 16th 2009 4:46PM
I understand maybe half of what you are saying but it seems very poignant. Those big techy words make it sound like the truth; Let it be known that this blogger has been thoroughly humbled on this day, July 16th, 2009.
Thank you for your insight Tor Slettnes
See!!!!! If what I am understanding is right, even a soft to hard core mac user knows not to touch the iPhone.
By the way everyone, both Jesus and God use a Blackberry not a silly little toy phone such as the iPhone.
Ryujin @ Jul 18th 2009 5:13PM
The question is their a difference between Apple's and Nokia's approach? What i mean is there api's available to the Apple products that aren't available to third party companies, What's the advantage of being recognized as an IPhone? If there isn't then its a marketing stunt, if there is an advantage for them to disguise as an IPhone then Apple is creating an unfair competition. Fire and pitchforks for any company that does this, its the same situtation that used to be with IE and Microsoft.
fr4nk1yn @ Jul 16th 2009 10:45PM
HAHA! I love the Apple fan-boys incoherent rants! Keep it up.