Apple has just rolled out iTunes 8.2.1 to users and it includes a foreboding message for owners of the Palm Pre, noting that the update includes bugfixes and “addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices”.
Palm and Apple have been locked in a protracted PR batte regarding the ability of the Pre to sync with iTunes by being recognized as a native iPod, no doubt an influence from Palm CEO Jon Rubenstein owing to his helming of the iPod project before leaving Apple for Palm last year.
It remains to be seen what the PR machine for Palm will come up with regarding the sync issues as Apple has provided the following statement :
“iTunes 8.2.1 is a free software update that provides a number of important bug fixes. It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre.
As we’ve said before, newer versions of iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.”
Palm has yet to provide an official statement regarding the issue, but it may be rendered moot thanks to applications such as the third-party Missing Sync for Mac, which includes Pre support and features many of the same features as native Pre-iTunes syncing with additional features.
In related news, the update also patches an iPhone 3G S exploit whereby the encryption keys for the device were being dumped to a temporary folder, which allowed jailbreak developers to use the files to develop the neccessary tools for jailbreaking the device.
[…] Humberto Saabedra placed an observative post today on iTunes Update Breaks Palm Pre Sync, iPhone 3G S File Dump …Here’s a quick excerptApple has just rolled out iTunes 8.2.1 to users and it includes a foreboding message for owners of the Palm Pre, noting that the update includes bugfixes and. […]
Well Apple, that is the straw that broke the camel’s back. 1st you introduce the I-POD and make it so we can only use music we’ve paid for on one of these devices, and limit us to the number of computers or devices we can share. (I know, things have changed a bit now). 2nd you partner with ATT and offer the I-Phone only with them — cannot stand ATT because of how things are priced and how they treat customers. 3rd and the last straw is to update your software so only your devices can use them.
If you can’t play in the real world and learn to allow us to use what we have purchased on any device that we want, to heck with you. Lots of other places to download Tunes that does not have the same restrictions.
Time for Google to take a big bite out of Apple. As for the Pre — plenty of other music options/sources out there.
Apple, you have likely got your last sale from me……………………………
[…] In other Sprint news, news has surfaced that suggests that Sprint will not carry the HP Pre 3 due to its previous experience with selling the Palm Pre. Sprint was initially the exclusive carrier for the Pre when it was first released in 2009 and positioned the webOS powered smartphone as a superior alternative to the iPhone, and even included full compatibility with iTunes before Apple shut down Palm’s cat and mouse game. […]