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Palm Pre "iTunes Hack" Detailed By DVD Jon

Posted by timothy on from the role-playing-game dept.

CNETNate writes "As the reviews of the Palm Pre start to roll in, DVD Jon expands on previous coverage of the Pre showing up in iTunes as some sort of an iPod, by publishing the offending code Palm has used to enabled the feature. As suspected, in regular USB mode, the phone addresses itself as a standard peripheral. But in 'Media Sync' mode, it claims to be an iPod ... from a vendor known as Apple."

6 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. Antitrust? by Guspaz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Apple could sue, and Palm could counter-sue with antitrust claims. After all, Apple does control most of the music market via iTunes.

    I vaguely recall a lawsuit where Apple was sued for limiting the iPod to only iTunes (Apple won), but I don't think anybody has challenged the reverse (using something else with iTunes) in court.

    1. Re:Antitrust? by larry+bagina · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Apple isn't doing anything (illegal or otherwise) to interfere or prevent other online music stores from operating. iTunes popularity is due to brand loyalty, mind share, convenience, and being first.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  2. Silly Apple, silly Palm by avm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Silly Apple, if it only identifies its devices via a USB identifier, but interacts with them in standard, easily emulated ways, all the while going for the exclusivity angle.

    Silly Palm, for thinking Apple will take this lying down. But kudos for the balls to do it anyway.

  3. Apple cannot block and it's not illegal by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Two points:

    1) This is impossible for Apple to block. If according to USB it's an iPod, how can Apple distinguish? They can try to see if any little details are missing, but in the end any probing they do can easily be met by Palm.

    Nor is it even unsafe, because the code to support older iPods is pretty stable and will not change over time - the older iPods will always be supported.

    2) I'm pretty sure Apple sill not sue. What legality is there around USB identifiers? Nothing. The only hook there is the Apple string in the ID, but I don't think it's enough to put a case around. Why bother with the expense of a suit.

    It's a clever idea from Palm and I applaud them for it.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Apple cannot block and it's not illegal by harryandthehenderson · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Have any laws or court rulings to show this? How would this be any more illegal than having Opera show that it's Internet Explorer?

  4. Re:Umm... why the fuss? by ckaminski · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Okay, I'm a developer, and the phones environment is pretty snazzy these days. But here's pretty much what I have for choices.

    My needs:
        Tethering, Music (ghetto iPod), Skye (maybe), custom app development.

    AT&T:

        Blackberry Curve 8900 - no touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, SD card
        iPhone - Touchscreen, no QWERTY keyboard

    Verizon:

        Palm Centro - WinMo (ick) - QWERTY, SD card, Touchscreen
        Blackberry Storm - no QWERTY, no touchscreen, SD card

    TMo

        Blackberry Curve 8900
        Android G1 -> qwerty keyboard, touchscreen, sd card
        Sidekick XL

    Sprint:

        Palm Treo 800/750: qwerty, touchscreen, sd card
        Palm Pre : Touchscreen, qwerty, sd card?

    I *LIKE* the BB/Treo keyboard styles, so landscape style keyboards kind of ruin the experience for me. After playing with a G1 last night, I'm not convinced. I think it's come down to a WinMo treo, BB 8900, or the Pre if I like how it feels.

    I've been a Verizon customer for 12 years. I love my service - I'm loath to leave, but Verizon has been on the shit-end of the smartphone arena for too long.