The best solution all around is to simply avoid Apple products. There are plenty of non-Apple music sites out there. Why give business to a company that is more interested in Microsoft-style tactics to preserve their market share than serving their own customers?

If I'm not mistaken, Palm Pre users that like to Media Sync with iTunes can just decline the update for as long as they choose.

I don't have a Pre myself, but iTunes does give you the option of NOT updating.

I think the assertion that because Apple won't let you use their software with a competing company's product is cause for a boycott of the company entirely is a little ridiculous, frankly.

That being said, it's unfortunate that it'll come down to this kind of cat and mouse game. It'll be entertaining to watch the fireworks fly though!

itunes fails as a music player and as a music library. it makes a decent screensaver though

Yeah we should boycott Apple because Palm is lazy and inept, awesome point James! Calling it "microsoft-like" to not allow another companies competing product to use your software for free because they were too lazy to develop their own is just in a league of its own, stupiditywise.

iTunes is a vehicle for selling music, video, and iPhone apps. That being said, preventing devices from connecting with iTunes seems asinine to me.

Wow, look at the apple fanbois bristle! [Partial comment removed; please refrain from personal insults. Thank you.--Ed.]

Palm Pre has a music client... oh wait... Epic Fail!

Very disappointing. We have the iTouch and the Pre, and was very happy the same iTunes would update both. Now I won't give Apple the $.50 per track and find another music service. Way to go Apple, not sure what you're accomplishing here. I hope Apple forces Palm to develop or buy their own music marketplace software and take away business from iTunes. Although, I suspect this is a power play for now, and eventually Apple will reverse this to cash in on the profits.

Like Google using a so called free OS in an anti-competitive move to generate ad revenue for it's unrelated search business, Apple uses iTunes to dominate the phone and mp3 markets. Can you imagine the uproar if Microsoft did this?

Apple monopolizes markets and uses illegal, anti-competitive tactics to maintain dominance. FTC - are you listening? Unless you have an iPod or an iPhone, guess not. Since I don’t want Apple suing me too…

iPod is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc
iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

I don't see the big deal. iTunes is for synching iPods and iPhones- not other devices. Palm knew this, and wanted to be underhanded. They are getting what they deserve. Go Apple for holding firm.

The Palm Pre is a 2nd rate phone for 2nd rate losers. Who gives a crap whether they can sync with iTunes?!?! The world needs losers like it needs janitors. They can find a 2nd rate music service too.

Yes, I am elitist. I'll save you the keystrokes.

Except that Apple doesn't have a monopoly.
They don't even come close to having one.
Their desktop market share is negligible, and in the phone market, its STILL minimal. Nokia, Samsung, Sony Erricson, Motorola and LG together compose over 80% of the market, with only 19% controlled by all other companies of which Apple is one.

Apple's approach to software has always been to use the software to drive hardware sales. The new Apple OS, Snow Leopard is being offered for twenty dollars, compare that to Windows 7; a hundred and twenty dollars OS. The reason being Apple recuperates their development costs through the sale of their hardware.
Apple has no desire for their low-cost or free software to be made available on other platforms, because they collect no revenue from the sale of those platforms.

If Microsoft today chose to partner with Hewlett-Packard or Dell, and only offer their software through those companies, it'd be ridiculous, because Microsoft makes their money on the software side, and don't generate revenue based on computer hardware sales.

Apple on the other hand maintains tight control over their products, thereby avoiding the morass Microsoft is plagued with of having to support every two-penny piece of crap in existence, and in Apple's opinion, it enables them to ship a superior product.
Their stock has, by the by, grown by leaps and bounds.

Apple has earned its seat on the throne with great technology. That said, I'm sad that they're so greedy. Another Microsoft, no doubt!

I'm still pissed about AT&T, we need better competition for the iPhone ... so Palm, don't go belly-up!

Apple is evil.

Why doesn't Palm just develop a syncing client? The iTunes Library database is an open XML file format, and many other companies have written programs to work with their hardware. If Apple makes their iTunes Library proprietary, then I'll be there with you protesting that Apple sucks.

This means Palm would have to do some work. Well, that's life. I don't see Apple complaining why QuickTime won't play under Windows Media Player.

If apple thinks their product so superior why the..you can't play in my sandbox attitude. This is why apple would die except for the fanboys who keep their heads buried in that sandbox. You just keep paying to think you are better....LOL.

To me it makes no sense why Palm did not go with a Free/Open Source software media player/manager for this. By choosing to rely on iTunes, they have made it very clear that they do not consider the syncing client to be one of the differentiating factors of the Pre, but they are also letting themselves be at the mercy of a competitor who can and obviously will try to hurt them.

I am of course biased as hell as I am one of the developers of the Amarok media player/manager (http://amarok.kde.org), but it seems to me that Palm could have saved themselves a ton of trouble by, for instance, helping us get the Windows and Mac versions of Amarok polished (we already support many different media devices, including iPods, so they can still use that protocol if they choose, and Amarok already runs on Win and Mac, just needs the finishing touches on both platforms) and they would have a client that is usable on Windows, Mac and Linux and that no competitor has control over. Also, as they would not have to maintain most parts of Amarok, the overall cost for them would be _much_ lower than writing their own syncing app from scratch and having to maintain it.

"Microsoft-style tactics"

I don't see Windows blocking iPods [removed partial comment; please refrain from personal insults. Thank you.-Ed.] Yes Microsoft screw up, but I find them a whole lot better than Apple.

I don't care either way. I have an Iphone. If it didn't exist... I'd have a Pre. Fanboys or not, quit complaining. Most of these comments are by anti-fanboys! It's a competitive world out there and these companies are trying to make a buck (or preserve a buck in MS's and Apple's case). I love Apple and itunes. I also have a PC and love that too... Which is a stretch considering it's running Vista.
If nothing else, the Pre wouldn't even exist had it not been for the Iphone. I love that Palm has introduced the Pre! That means more competition, which is better for customers. If that means that these companies are going to sucker punch each other at the expense of the customers to make it cheaper in the end, then so be it. Palm users, you knew the risks when you bought the phone and now you're posting like it's a huge surprise! Be anti Apple if you like, but don't act like you were cheated some how. It all sounds like Apple envy to the common reader. Im sure they'll have a solution for this in no time and you ALL can take your fingers out of your mouths.
Punching out.

This type of stuff Angers me - If Microsoft did it, they'd end up in front of the likes of the EU for anti-competitive behaviour, yet Apple gets away with it.

They hold a very large share of the Portable media and online music market and they're using that to their advantage - anti-competitively.

Just be fair - if Microsoft get strung up over IE and WMP - then treat Apple the same way over stuff like iTunes blocking the Palm Pre.

Quote:

Very disappointing. We have the iTouch and the Pre, and was very happy the same iTunes would update both. Now I won't give Apple the $.50 per track and find another music service. Way to go Apple, not sure what you're accomplishing here. I hope Apple forces Palm to develop or buy their own music marketplace software and take away business from iTunes. Although, I suspect this is a power play for now, and eventually Apple will reverse this to cash in on the profits.

WTF is an iTouch??

Apple has a monopoly in the mp3 player market (over 80% share with the ipod). itunes is the biggest music/video/game store on the internet. Suggesting Palm should just make their own music software to compete with itunes is a stupid comment. They're not in that business. Thats like saying adobe (or any other application maker) should make their own OS instead of making one work with windows or the mac.

i for one love apple products, if its new and shiny from apple I'll buy it

I completely agree with other posters, why would apple allow this? if i was in their shoes i wouldn't. And why didn't PALM go with an open source itunes style manager that works with their coming up app store just shows lack of foresight. This is why apple is always 2 steps ahead of the competition.

Apple should strive to make their own products better rather than sabotaging their competitors.

I didn't hear Palm offer Apple any compensation to have this work. They were just making the Pre look like an iPod to iTunes. Maybe if they offered to pay something to Apple then they could have worked a deal. As it is it just seems like they were just ripping there work off.

Apple doesn't have a monopoly there are choices and always have been. They have just pioneered system better than anyone else. Find it very strange that the American attitude is to wiz on there own companies that seem to grow and do well. They are keep you country afloat!!!

There is literally no reason that Apple would allow a third party device on their software.

Anyone that thinks this should be supported by Apple is insane, and doesn't understand the basic metrics of business.

Apple sold their iTurns to the record labels as a closed secure option. They are under contract to fix any wholes in iTunes with in a few months of their discovery.

The pre sync option was a whole and they were contractually obligated to close that whole.

it is good business to not brake their contracts with the record labels. These contracts are the reason they have the largest music catalog of all the online music vendors.

i don't love everything apple does but lets get our facts straight.

The happiest day of my life is when I upgraded my iphone to a blackberry storm and uninstalled the trojan known as iTunes from my drive.

I imagine this latest crApple stunt will open more people's eye to the smoke and mirrors that is inherent in all apple products

to anyone whining about this: how would you like it if you made an amazing piece of software for purchasing and syncing music, and then your competitor just uses the same software. They've gotta make their own!

"to anyone whining about this: how would you like it if you made an amazing piece of software for purchasing and syncing music, and then your competitor just uses the same software. They've gotta make their own!"

If it means that more people would be purchasing music from my store, making money for me, I would be thrilled! :-)

In fact, I am working on making (what I hope will be) an amazing piece of software for purchasing and syncing music, and I would love for as many companies as possible to have their devices use this software. I had an essay about this published here: http://dot.kde.org/2009/07/16/business-free

It's unfortunate, yet a sign of the times, that people expect everything for free. Can't afford an iPod or iPhone? Then get something else and deal with what that company offers in way of a Music Store.

Saying that it's unfair that Apple is preventing the Palm Pre from syncing to iTunes would be like complaining that your neighbor won't let you drive his better looking, better performing sports car to your Ford Focus. You get what you buy.

Perhaps if you petition Barack Obama, he and his Congress can work in "Free iTunes Access for everyone" in with his health care reform plan. He can add that as a line item under "preventative care" - it'll save dozens of Palm users from needing access to High Blood Pressure medication.

Apple's decision is a business decision. I believe the matter comes down to one word, "Support". Pre owners with issues would potentially contact Apple to support their installation and Apple would not be able to easily do so. Palm most likely expected Apple to take just the course of action taken and probably decided why not, if Apple doesn't patch the hole then our users get songs and we didn't have to do the work and don't have to support it. If Apple closes the hole then they get the heat as the big bad Apple stomping on Palm and the Pre. Palm wins in either scenario and the anti-Apple, anti-pay for what you get people start screaming/whining. Palm has other options for getting music on their handsets as well do other smart phone vendors. Of course Palm could try to license Itunes but why should Apple do so unless it adds to Apples bottom line. There is no Free lunch or should I say Pre Lunch.

Just because the United States does not effectively patrol her boarders and allows illegal aliens to cross into the country does not mean that Apple should follow suit and allow free access to their iTunes store by foreign non-revenue generating platforms.

I had a Palm at one point. It was great 5 years ago, but it never functioned as anything more than a quick text messaging vehicle, in addition to its phone service. Sadly, there is nothing remotely entertaining with the product line these days when compared to other companies' offerings.

In other news, Red Wing Shoes is planning on suing Nike for not allowing Red Wing to put the Nike logo on the side of their shoes. Jealousy? Perhaps.

I have to laugh at all of the ignorant comments about the "free" software... The whole point of iTunes is to SELL MUSIC!!! that's where the dollars come from... selling the music. That's why there was a Windows version of iTunes in the first place... to SELL MORE MUSIC... To take a digital file and shoot out copies of it is incredibly cheap to do... massive profits from selling music. Why they would cut off another potential sales venue seems pretty short sighted. Though when they do it, they can expect the typical Apple fanboi support for their actions... amazing really.

Tom Jalana and Ed raise good points. You get what you pay for.

Obama and his people are probably thinking of ways to tax iTunes...or maybe they want to expand their portfolio and take over Palm. You never know, they seem to be sticking their noses in everything.

As a highly satisfied Palm Pre user I WAS planning on adding the next generation iTouch if its hardware upgrades to the equivalent of both the Pre and the 3G S. With this change on Apple's part to iTunes compatibilty I have of this moment taken that off the table. But it's not as Apple intends. I'm DEFINITELY passing on the iTouch. Now tell me, is Apple, Inc fundamentally any different in market behavior than Wintel?

Consumers need alternatives and I'm glad that Palm offers that, as is Google, with Linux OS devices. It will be interesting to see how Linux and ARM (LinARM?) compete with Wintel as we move forward with increasingly capable palm and netbook devices that are empowering for the consumer. Perhaps a brave new world has arrived?

I, for one, welcome the innovation, competition and choices in the mobile space that Handspring, Palm and Apple have initiated and that WebOS and Android are taking to the next level.

None Required could be right... Why prevent 200-or-so Pre users from ordering music from the iTunes store with their $300 Palm Pre? Apple could make all of $10,000 from those users. And what's great for Palm is the fact that they sell a $300 phone and generate $60,000 in phone sales without having to commit the resources to develop their own music store or the applications to support it.

Palm should keep stealing from Apple, as they have from their disappointed customers who bought the Pre. Even PC Magazine listed the phones "cons" as: "Very few third-party apps, so-so recepition, short standby battery life, Limited IM apps" (see: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338899,00.asp)

But one of the pros they listed is that it "Syncs with iTunes just like an iPod."

Not anymore...

If you can't afford an Apple, and you settle for a Lemon, don't complain to the Apple seller that their Apple Pie recipe doesn't allow for Lemons in the ingredient list.

And yes - I support the fact that Apple want to burn a leach off iTunes. There are enough parasites in the world living off of the hard work of others that we don't need another sucking off of Apple's lifeblood without paying (Palm).

If you bought a Palm Pre, complain to Palm that their product doesn't have its own PalmTunes store. Then again, if you did some research before purchasing your product, you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

Classic Apple action! Try to isolate and control the whole user experience via hardware and software options (anyone ever bought an HP or Dell with an Apple OS?). Loving Apple is a perfect test to determine if one is a socialist/communist or a free thinking individual.

Yes Chas. Shame on Apple for controlling the user experience via hardware and software.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the countless hours I've spent on my PC with tech support, installing virus protection software and paying for the expensive upgrades.

I've appreciated the versatility of Microsoft's Vista and the thoroughness of the testing they went through prior to launch, as well as their ground-breaking products such as Songsmith - which allow me to compose award-winning background compositions for my movies.

A socialist shares everything with everyone - similar to how PC's do with their viruses.

A free thinking individual knows when they have the superior product, protects their intellectual capital, and likewise, charges for it - as Apple rightly does.

I'm sorry that Apple, after 30 years of being pushed around by the likes of Microsoft, IBM and others, has shown the ability to put itself back together and is now standing up to the typical neighborhood "bullies" who are now cruising the neighborhood, pushing the likes of Songsmith and Vista like a bad '80s drug from their Hoveround.

A socialist defines the elite status and includes himself in it, most everyone else is then regulated to normalcy without privilege. To convince you that socialism/communism is not in the best interest of regular people would be impossible in this blog and probably ever, also "mostly" off topic. Be who you want.... it's just that I know who you are.

I did like Apple before this, but what so many of you pro Apple people don't see is that many of these Pre owners are ipod owners as well. I have 3 ipods and I have a Pre. Why does it have to ALL APPLE or nothing. I purchased those songs. Technology is supposed to make our lives better but this move is doing the opposite.

If Palms tells its customers it will support them when they have problems with iTunes and not lay the blame when something fails either with iTunes, Quicktime or Apple, then I think its fine.

The trouble is companies like Palm and Real want to live off the good work of Apple. They don't want to work hard to provide the same service to their customers.

Why can't they develop their own music store. Would they allow Apple for example to install Apps (if those Apps could run on the Pre) on their device for example or is the iTunes integration only for music? The question I am asking is Palm opening up the Pre too everything iTunes could do or are they selectively opening up the Pre to services that they are not good at providing and living off companies like Apple.

My neighbor has a good piano, perhaps I should be able to just walk in and use it anytime I want.

Apple just stooped to an all time low. They want to run a monopoly. The Palm-Pre was a genuine iPhone contender. And all Apple can come up with is this. I hope Palm learn a lesson and provide compatibility with alternate solutions. Besides, within a week they'll come up with a compatibility, over the air patch.

Maybe Windows should follow suit and block support for the iTunes. Apple would get devastated then.