You haven’t once explained how Apple denying automatic syncing to non-Apple devices is monopolistic. They don’t even INCLUDE it with devices, hell, they don’t even SELL it. I don’t see you complaining about the Zune software being proprietary, or how Palm’s Web OS is, or how if you buy an Xbox you can’t play Playstation games (another case of proprietary software/hardware clashes). Frankly, I don’t think you understand what a monopoly actually is.

Silly me, I always thought that music marketplace sales exist independent of iPod sales. And that when music is sold on iTunes, Apple still takes a cut. And even though that cut may be relatively low (though I would doubt that), iTunes is still ENORMOUSLY profitable.

Allowing other devices to purchase content from iTunes increases that profitability. Since iTunes is already the dominant marketplace with tremendous mind share, it is actually rather stupid to not allow third-party devices to sync with it. People using competing devices might buy content, but they aren’t all that likely to buy iPods. In fact, Apple’s decision to deliberately block 3rd party devices has the potential to drive potential customers to other providers (like Amazon).

And though interaction with iTunes may be one nice feature, ultimately, most people buy iPods because they are the best music players. (Right? Can we agree on that?) Access to the iTunes store is probably only a peripheral consideration, at best. In fact, for some it is actually a turn off.

Personally, I would rather use my iPod touch with an alternative player (like Songbird) than with iTunes. But, Apple has me firmly locked in to their walled garden. I know that we’re talking about Apple and double standards are in effect, but lock in is bad. Remember? Abusive practices and attempts to force upgrade cycles by another major vendor caused a whole bunch of anti-trust investigations and bad feelings. I’m not all that warm and snuggly with the fact that I can’t use my hardware with the music player of my chocie.

Those bad feelings drove many of us to the Mac platform in the first place. What I was dismayed to find upon arriving, though, is that Steve Jobs is a worse monopolist than Bill Gates ever was. Luckily, he was never as successful.

Even the Zune’s proprietary software?

iTunes still recognizes the Pre as a hard drive when it’s plugged in, and Pre owners can still add their music to their device that way. Palm spokesperson Laura Letts has been very careful to only say that Pre users “will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience,” emphasis on seamless. She can’t say they can’t use iTunes anymore, because they still can. Molehill? You’ve just been upgraded to mountain.

Does Palm let you run another OS on the Pre? No? Well, they’re just as bad as Apple, then.

I already have a music library of about 60,000 songs, and three iPods, but will get my new music elsewhere.