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With gadget reviewers nodding approvingly in the general direction of the Palm Pre, news that Apple’s latest iTunes 8.2.1 update prevents the touch-screen handset from syncing and managing multimedia content is unlikely to sit well with the sexy smartphone’s creators.
No iTunes love for Palm Pre owners. Image: Palm.
Moreover, given that Palm Inc. was keen to spotlight iTunes syncing as one of the Pre’s many points of appeal, the Sunnyvale-based smartphone specialist is probably seething in the shadows in light of, what appears to be, a clear cut strategic move on Apple’s part.
However, to be fair, Apple did issue a warning regarding the possible blockage a number of weeks ago, highlighting that future iTunes updates would leave non-Apple devices incompatible with the syncing functionality.
In explaining its iTunes update, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said it was necessary in order to “disable devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre,” which was actually recognised as an iPod when connected to iTunes.
Offering a potential workaround for Pre owners that also frequent iTunes, a spokesperson for Palm suggested customers “can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music… they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we could consider.”
The Pre is Palm’s attempt to muscle its way back into a position of prominence in the smartphone market, which has become progressively more cornered by the Apple iPhone and Research In Motion’s range of professional BlackBerry phones.
According to debut weekend estimates for the $200 USD handset, Palm sold around 55,000 units of the Pre at launch.
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