Just sayin…

The best analysis I’ve seen on this issue. Palm is a joke. The iTunes library file is open XML – if they had a clue they could write their own sync software, but apparently they just want to leech off the work of others. I have no respect for Palm – their stance is a joke.

That is just a terrible analogy. Microsoft, sells software that only works in machines sold by Microsoft (Xbox360). Sony sells software that only works in machines sold by Sony (PS3) ..you get the picture, right? Microsoft sells the Zune, and won’t even allow Mac or Linux users any access to it at all.

But I also feel Apple should stop breaking the sync. IMHO if it is ok for Palm to spoof Apple’s ID to enter iTunes then it should be ok for Apple to find a way to know it is being spoofed and send ads to these devises promoting the iPhone and iPod. So when a Palm syncs to iTunes the first thing they would get is an iPhone ad and every so often they would get another ad and before the sync could end they should get another ad.

All fair in love and marketing :P

iTunes has a supported API for syncing. Palm chooses to ignore this just to get press.

Maybe instead of laying off people, Palm should put some of these devs to work on making their own sync client.

On the other hand, the fact is that iTunes dominates the music market like Windows dominates the OS market. Most people use iTunes, therefore they will want the Pre to work with iTunes.

Microsoft has in the past run afoul of the law (and rightfully so!) for its anti-competitive business practices. So far, Apple has managed to evade such legal action. However, Apple currently is even more proprietary and anti-competitive than Microsoft is. The day of reckoning will come.

Apple would be wise to loosen up a bit and forestall the antitrust enforcement. But I guess some accountant has done the cost/benefit analysis and determined that it will be more profitable to be anti-competitive for as long as possible, then pay the fines when the enforcement action does occur.

Meanwhile, Palm would be better off taking matters into their own hands and pursuing/promoting an alternative to iTunes.

Firstly in open season it looks like it is fair game for any manufacturer who wants to spoof Palm’s vendor id for whatever purpose they like.

Secondly standards bodies are there for a reason – specifically for this kind of shit to not happen – Palm have opened a nasty, nasty nasty set of possibilities with this childish play.

This isn’t really all that much different from the bundling that Microsoft always gets a huge fight from the EU about – except instead of bundling software with hardware like MS is doing, Apple is bundling hardware with software and trying to force you to buy their hardware.

But more importantly, if Best Buy sold CDs that only worked in CD players sold at their store, there would be outrage, and rightfully so. I don’t see why it should be any different for digital files rather than physical media.

And I also don’t see why Apple is so bothered by it anyway. I’m sure they make more money off of iTunes than the physical hardware anyway, so why do they even try and stop this?

As for the approved ways of syncing with iTunes, sure, you could make an intermediary program that will sync iTunes to the Pre, like BB does. But the problem is, the average user who buys the phone isn’t going to want to or know how to use third-party methods to enable sync. They want it to work out of the box, and that’s why this method is far superior.

If it bothers you using apple laptops, why not get a Dell or HP? They’re pretty much the same hardware wise.

Even though Apple does allow access to iTunes they have no responsibility to allow access to their software. Thinking they do is just idiotic and anyone who thinks this way apparently does not understand the concept of capitalism.