AfterDawn: News

USB-IF sides with Apple in Pre-iTunes dispute

A letter sent by the USB Implementers Forum to both Apple Inc and Palm has stated that Apple has the right to alter its iTunes software to block Palm's Pre device from syncing. When the Pre was launched, Palm said it would be iTunes-compatible; and it was. However, Apple had warned that the iTunes capabilities would only last weeks, and then kept its promise by blocking the Pre with an update.

Palm wasn't going to sit still over the issue however, and a wrote a letter of protest to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the non-profit organization that maintains the Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification and promotes the interface. Apple had blocked the Pre from syncing with iTunes by checking the idVendor descriptor when connected.



The Palm letter informed USB-IF of the WebOS update, which would change the Pre's Vendor ID to the same as Apple's in order to regain iTunes support. "Interoperability is central to any standard-setting organization," the letter read, "because, without widespread interoperability, many of the benefits of standardized (as opposed to proprietary) technologies are lost."

If USB-IF decided not to intervene in the dispute, it could have continued as a cat and mouse game for some time, with iTunes updating and killing syncing, and then new WebOS software restoring it. However, USB-IF not only states in the letter sent to both companies that Apple has the right to block out the Pre device from syncing with iTunes, but also that any further attempt by Palm to defeat the block would violate the group's rules.

The letter requested that Plam respond within a week and clarify its position. Palm spokesman Derick Mains said that the company is reviewing the letter and will respond if appropriate.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 23 Sep 2009 0:02

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• 3 comments

• KillerBug

  If I was a performer selling music in iTunes, I would be pissed...Apple is intentionaly driving away potential customers, and the money they bring. Aparently it isn't enough that people pay $1 per song for SUB-MP3-Quality music...it isn't even enough that these people must use iTunes software (perhapse the worst music library software ever writen)...Apple wants 100% of the pie, even if that means that the pie is smaller than the portion of the pie they would have gotten if they learned to share.
  
  I almost don't believe Apple would do this...it's almost like someone from Microsoft's PR department is pretending to be from apple, and doing all the things they have done lately...just to make Apple look bad. The truth is even sadder: Apple is doing it all themselves just to screw over customers and loose market share.

  23.9.2009 06:24 #1

• rosedog

  people still use itunes and ipod/phones?
  
  weird...

  23.9.2009 10:29 #2

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by KillerBug: If I was a performer selling music in iTunes, I would be pissed...Apple is intentionaly driving away potential customers, and the money they bring. Aparently it isn't enough that people pay $1 per song for SUB-MP3-Quality music...it isn't even enough that these people must use iTunes software (perhapse the worst music library software ever writen)...Apple wants 100% of the pie, even if that means that the pie is smaller than the portion of the pie they would have gotten if they learned to share.
  
  I almost don't believe Apple would do this...it's almost like someone from Microsoft's PR department is pretending to be from apple, and doing all the things they have done lately...just to make Apple look bad. The truth is even sadder: Apple is doing it all themselves just to screw over customers and loose market share.
  You apparently don't realize any real implications from this. You simply-mindedly think that it's just Apple wanting to screw people for no other reason than to screw with them (you should really add that as a disclaimer to your posts). There's nothing keeping people from still using iTunes to download music and put it on other devices. This is partially a SUPPORT issue...if users of devices other than iPods can sync directly w/ the iTunes software (which is only written to sync w/ iPod/iPhone/AppleTV devices) and those users run into trouble, they may very well start complaining to Apple or blaming Apple for their non-supported devices not working, which is likely MORE bad news for Apple than not even allowing other devices to work with it in the first place. I don't have a link, but a year or so ago, this was the jist of what someone from Apple said...they MIGHT allow other devices to sync with it if the makers of those other companies made it worth their while (for testing and support), but otherwise it wasn't at all in their best interests to do so.
  
  It's OBVIOUS most of the posters here and elsewhere online have no businees acumen in their thought processes when they discuss things like this and can only express themselves in biased, knee-jerk reactions.

  24.9.2009 08:46 #3