Considering this, Apple has zero incentive to support non-Apple products, not simply because it is a direct iPhone competitor, but because it undercuts the purpose of the iTunes music store (the Palm Pre doesn’t sell iPods).

I also find it quite ironic that Palm is effectively breaching Apple’s intellectual property rights on a music store that has been consistently crippled by software specifically designed to protect the intellectual property rights of the record labels.

“considering its a media outlet, and lets say apple makes way more money off “mp3s” then they do off sales of devices as its been seen. adding a device that can sync native with an app that “RETAILS” mps is a positive for apple”

I didn’t say that. Bugs did. moron.

considering its a media outlet, and lets say apple makes way more money off “mp3s” then they do off sales of devices as its been seen. adding a device that can sync native with an app that “RETAILS” mps is a positive for apple

You are WRONG.

I don’t know where the hell you heard that but Apple doesn’t make nearly as much money off iTunes as they do on the hardware (iPod). It has been reported OVER and OVER that they don’t make very much at all off the iTunes music store.

iTunes drives the sale of their hardware, just like OS X drives the sale of their hardware.

iTunes and OS X sell laptops, desktops, iPods and iPhones NOT the other way around.

Apple is a hardware manufacturer primarily, not a software company like Microsoft. Everyone comparing Apple’s “monopolistic practices” to Microsoft doesn’t understand the difference between the companies.

Again, Apple is primarily a hardware manufacturer. The software that their hardware uses (OS X, iTunes) is meant to better the user experience of THEIR hardware.

yeah and their OS will update for them, automatically, over the air, and the problem will solve itself.

not all pre users are going to be using the iTunes sync anyway. for those who choose it, Palm is offering the easiest and most transparent possible upgrade path. this is good for pre users.

“Now you have this device claiming it is an iPod when it is not.”

just like how apple computers claim to be windows computers when joining a windows network? a device claiming to be something it is not is hardly unheard of.

“Apple now runs the risk of bricking Pre’s because they have no control over the device and do not know how it will respond to commands that work on an iPod.”

oh please. it is up to Palm to make sure the interaction with iTunes won’t brick the device, and i imagine they have safeguards in place. if not then it isn’t Apple’s problem.

“When the Pre fails to synch with iTunes is the average user going to call Palm support or Apple support?”

you call Palm, troubleshoot until you figure out where the problem lies and then you call Apple if you absolutely have to. it isn’t that tough. remember that iTunes customers are Apple customers too, and that it is in Apple’s interests to support them and keep them as loyal iTunes users instead of buying their music on amazon or something.

“Palm is clearly in the wrong here.”

they are no such thing. there is a very long history of moves like this advancing computing into the future. compaq cloning the IBM PC, or people building modems to work over telephone lines [which AT&T initially forbade, using many of the arguments you are making]. hacks and spoofs are not solely the domain of the jailbreakers of the world. larger companies, if they can execute them in a safe and user friendly way, have historically advanced personal computing through the considered use of such shenanigans – including Apple.

DRM ridden, closed systems like iTunes are going to be targeted to be cracked open by everyone. individual hackers and large companies. if the syncing solution from third parties isn’t great, that’s apple’s problem for not letting their paying customers who pay for music when they could pretty easily pirate it for free merely sync that music with the device of their choice.

saying Palm is hurting customers is ridiculous when it is Apple who won’t even let people sync their own legally purchased music with the device of their choosing.”

Not giving the “average user” credit. I take it you don’t work IT. Trust me, the average user is incapable of some of the simplest tasks. Oh you are talking about the average Palm user, well it ain’t 1990 anymore. Look around at the people with smart phones today. These are soccer moms, not business professionals.

On on hand you have Palm supporters saying iTunes is just an option, Drag and Drop is “primary” sync. Then you complain that Apple is DRM infested and closed. Nope, go browse to the directory and copy your DRM-Free music to your Pre.

On the other hand you say Apple should let third parties sync. They do. It’s an open XML interface to the iTunes library. Palm didn’t want to use that, they wanted to emulate an iPod. Never mind Apple pushes firmware updates to iPods via iTunes. Now you have this device claiming it is an iPod when it is not. Apple now runs the risk of bricking Pre’s because they have no control over the device and do not know how it will respond to commands that work on an iPod. But Apple is the company being unreasonable here. Yeah right.

Finally, you now have two parties. When the Pre fails to synch with iTunes is the average user going to call Palm support or Apple support? If you are lucky you get a 70/30 split. So now Apple is stuck fielding support calls for a competitors product. Yes the call is, “You need to call Palm, bye.” but that still takes time and costs Apple money.

Palm is clearly in the wrong here.