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On one had I would think allowing the Pre and others sync w/iTunes would broaden the number of people using the store... however I understand Apple's position if they want to sync they can pay for the rights to do so.

I think the best solution would be an open API, more Store Sales, more recognition. Id their product is supperior, they shouldn't be afraid of some Pre's on the store.

robco wrote:

Palm should just write a plug-in for Songbird. Apple has no obligationto support third-party devices. Don't complain, compete.

There is a difference between supporting and actively locking out though..

Yes, it's their right indeed.. I just don't think they're good at playing nice with others in general; and that when you've bought a track from the iTunes store, you have paid them enough to choose what player to put it on.

Last edited by pirloui (2009-07-16 4:24 pm)

And now you can. Most tracks on iTS are DRM-free. They'll play on many players - including the Pre. Apple stated from the beginning that they built the store to sell iPods, they make little profit from it. If you're unhappy with iT'S, buy from Amazon or another digital download store. I have several tracks from Amazon and they work just fine on my iPhone.

What Apple is preventing is using the iTunes jukebox software to organize tracks and sync music with other devices.  Something they are fully within their rights to do.

robco wrote:

And now you can. Most tracks on iTS are DRM-free. They'll play on many players - including the Pre. Apple stated from the beginning that they built the store to sell iPods, they make little profit from it. If you're unhappy with iT'S, buy from Amazon or another digital download store. I have several tracks from Amazon and they work just fine on my iPhone.

What Apple is preventing is using the iTunes jukebox software to organize tracks and sync music with other devices.  Something they are fully within their rights to do.

Apple stated this initially, but the iTunes store ended up generating a ton of revenue. It is no longer "just to sell iPods."

I wonder what impact on the fiscals the recent change in price structure had, now that all the hits cost more.

Um, MS does do this with the Zune - the Zune software only works with the Zune and music purchased from the Zune store is playable only on the Zune. The Windows Media "Plays 4 Sure" nonsense doesn't apply to the Zune. If Palm tried to co-opt the Zune store in the same manner, I have no doubt MS would swiftly put an end to it and be justified in doing so. Businesses are under no obligation to let competitors ride their coattails. If Palm wants a music store for the Zune, they should open one, if they want syncing software that works with the Pre then they should write one, or ink a deal with a company that has one and would be willing to support the Pre. There are even FOSS alternatives they could use.

I thought at least some music from the Zune Marketplace was DRM free, ie would play on anything, and that the Zune would play non-DRM'd music from sources other than the Zune Marketplace, assuming the format is supported. But I don't have a Zune and the Zune Marketplace is not even a rumour in Canada so I am probably misinformed.

SomeOneOrOther wrote:

test wrote:

I thought at least some music from the Zune Marketplace was DRM free, ie would play on anything, and that the Zune would play non-DRM'd music from sources other than the Zune Marketplace, assuming the format is supported. But I don't have a Zune and the Zune Marketplace is not even a rumour in Canada so I am probably misinformed.

Zune, on this side of the border, what's that??

Well it involves some sort of social

robco wrote:

Um, MS does do this with the Zune - the Zune software only works with the Zune and music purchased from the Zune store is playable only on the Zune. The Windows Media "Plays 4 Sure" nonsense doesn't apply to the Zune. If Palm tried to co-opt the Zune store in the same manner, I have no doubt MS would swiftly put an end to it and be justified in doing so. Businesses are under no obligation to let competitors ride their coattails. If Palm wants a music store for the Zune, they should open one, if they want syncing software that works with the Pre then they should write one, or ink a deal with a company that has one and would be willing to support the Pre. There are even FOSS alternatives they could use.

Exactly.

Unfortunately, it appears that Palm thinks this is a game.

http://blog.palm.com/palm/2009/07/palm- … eyond.html

Palm wrote:

Oh, and one more thing: Palm webOS 1.1 re-enables Palm media sync. That’s right -- you once again can have seamless access to your music, photos and videos from the current version of iTunes (8.2.1).

I'm not sure what their end game is here but this type of taunting doesn't seem becoming of a serious multi-billion dollar company. It sounds childish to me and as a former customer of Palm it would piss me off. I owned the Palm Treo 700p for two years before I bought my iPhone and I HATED that Palm did not have a working sync option written by them. Instead I had to buy third party software (The Missing Sync) that worked okay but no where near as well as my iPhone sync works. In fact, the iPhone sync is in another class by itself. And that is just the USB/iTunes sync. If you want to talk about MobileMe Palm will start crying.

I honestly can't believe that Palm is bragging about some hack they did that allows their device to HALFWAY sync with iTunes. And it is only syncing halfway since it doesn't sync calendar, notes, or many of the other things synced by iTunes with the iPhone. The worst part is that those tabs are still present in iTunes when you connect your Pre. You can even set them, but they don't sync. How frigging lame is that?

Frank

robco wrote:

The iPhone synching is OK. The only part that bugs me is that I have to pay extra for MobileMe if I don't want to use a cable.

I am not referring to syncing with every tom, dick , and harry website. I am referring to syncing with the information on your computer and for that the iPhone syncing is the best I've seen. What don't you like about it? When I refer to syncing being good I mean that it actually synchronizes my data correctly. If you ever used a Palm Treo you would know that this is not the case. I used to have to keep my data backed up just in case the sync software decided to delete, or overwrite data in one location or another. And then there was the problem of duplicate entries being created. When I have to spend almost as much time correcting synchronization as it would have taken me to manually enter the info in both places myself, that is a HUGE problem.

Palm may have syncing set up with Google, Facebook, etc. But that doesn't help those of us that keep our information on our computers. I use Address Book. I use iCal. I want to have access to my information whether or not I have a connection to the Internet.

Frank