Apple Bars iTunes Syncing to Pre in Latest Update

Lonnie Lazar ()

palm-pre-1.jpg

Pre users will have to stay with version 8.2 to sync with iTunes

UPDATE: the original headline and a reference to “wireless” syncing in this article have been changed to correct a misunderstanding on the author’s part.

Apple has confirmed that Palm Pre will no longer be able to sync with iTunes versions beginning with the latest update, killing a sales feature that Palm had long relied upon in billing its phone as a major competitor to the iPhone.

“iTunes 8.2.1 is a free software update that provides a number of important bug fixes,” said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris, in a BusinessWeek report Wednesday. “It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre,” she continued, adding, “As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.”

For a device roundly touted as iPhone’s most worthy competition in the smartphone market, Palm’s Pre has not made many waves since being released on June 6 by Sprint, and remains hampered by an online app store with very little product.

There is some disagreement among analysts about how well the Pre has been received so far by the market, with some crowing that expectations have been more than met, while others say not so fast.

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Apple Releases iTunes 10.2.2

While the news of iTunes’ Pre lockout is no surprise, and Palm could still easily craft workaround allowing Pre users to sync with newer versions of iTunes, including using third party solutions to do the job, the lockout news is further evidence that Apple is not about to let up the pressure on a company now run by some of its former employees.

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About the author

Lonnie Lazar

Lonnie Lazar is a writer-musician-web designer-attorney. He writes about Apple for Cult of Mac and Mac|Life, and about VoIP and telecommunications for Voxilla. Follow Lonnie on Twitter @LonnieLazar, join the Cult of Mac on Facebook, and find Lonnie's photos on Flickr.

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Posted in Apple, iTunes, News |

  • Lucas

    any bets on how long it takes Palm, or anyone else, to file an Anti-Trust suit over iTunes/ipod tying. unlike the computer issue, this one could actually work (against Apple)

  • Carl In Silicon Valley

    Like Google using a “free” OS in an anti-competitive move to
    generate ad revenue for another of it’s products, Apple uses iTunes
    to dominate the phone and mp3 markets. Can you imagine the uproar if
    Microsoft did this?

    Apple monopolizes markets and uses illegal, anti-competitive tactics to maintain dominance. FTC – are you listening? Unless you have an iPod or an iPhone, guess not. Since I don’t want Apple suing me too…

    iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Computer
    iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Computer

  • http://www.burtonbytes.co.uk Matt Edwards

    I’m sorry but what else could Apple do? The Pre used a major feature from a competing company as one of it’s stand-out features. Palm used to stand for innovation but taking off the rose tinted spec’s they’ve always punked on Apple’s left overs. The entire Palm OS range was a regurgitation of the Newton, refining much of Apple’s work.

    I guess everyone has a time and place in history, Palm’s has sadly passed. Way to go Bono, the elevator is rapidly descending on this deal, what a great investment.

  • whynot?

    When Apple had to choose a technology for the imaging layer in osx they had two options, Display postscript as used on Next or PDF. Adobe wanted “some licensing fees” but Apple didn’t want to pay. So Apple decided to reverse engineer PDF…

  • http://www.burnleyfansteam.co.uk Kev Robinson

    Is the Pre, the ugliest phone in the market?

  • Stuart Fishman

    Wow. Apple once again shows it’s closed and monopolist side. As is obvious, all firms would like to have the power and market share of Microsoft, and will act just as they do to gain it. That is no surprise. Let’s understand this and treat all vertical marketeers as equals, whether it’s Microsoft, your local cable company, or Apple.

    I am forever amazed at those that evangelize about Apple and open source software at the same time (can any two paradigms be so different?) But Apple can do no wrong. All others are evil, but Apple is an angel. Yes, it is indeed the cult of mac!