Palm Again Removes iTunes Restrictions via webOS Update (1.2.1)

Palm tricks iTunes into “seeing” the Pre as an Apple iPod by using devices and product numbers reserved for Apple’s hardware, Macworld reveals in a post. Initially blocked by Apple, the ability to sync a Palm device with Apple’s iTunes has been re-enabled with webOS 1.2.1, an update issued last week.

“If you use certain configurations of Exchange 2007, you may have experienced some problems syncing your EAS email with your Palm Pre after updating to webOS 1.2,” a post on the Palm blog reads. “That issue has been fixed with the release of webOS 1.2.1 for Sprint customers – you'll automatically receive an over-the-air update in the next few days [...] This release also re-enables the ability of Palm media sync to work with the current version of iTunes,” the post adds.

However, the move doesn’t seem to sit well with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), a non-profit organization founded by the companies that developed the USB specifications. According to Macworld, both Palm and Apple are members of the USB-IF.

In light of the cat-and-mouse game between the two electronics companies, two weeks ago, the organization took Apple’s side, accusing Palm of abusing the group’s rules. “Under the Policy, Palm may only use the single Vendor ID issued to Palm for Palm’s usage,” the USB-IF told Palm, according to the Digital Daily blog, which had obtained a copy of the letter. “Usage of any other company’s Vendor ID is specifically precluded. Palm’s expressed intent to use Apple’s VID appears to violate the attached policy.”

Macworld further reveals that the USB-IF declined to confirm Digital Daily’s account at the time. “The USB-IF has been contacted by its members Palm Inc. and Apple Inc. regarding the use of USB-IF Vendor IDs and the Vendor ID policy,” Traci Donnell, USB-IF’s executive director, said in an e-mail to Computerworld on Sept. 23. “Yesterday, the USB-IF communicated its position on the matter to both companies. The USB-IF does not intend to comment publicly on this matter at this time.”

As for Apple, the company is preparing to lock Palm users out of iTunes again. “As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players,” company spokesman Tom Neumayr pointed out.