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After the recent WebOS version 1.2 upgrade, some users found certain features missing or broken.  There was an issue with some Exchange servers, there’s an app store, but no paid apps yet, and, oh yeah, iTunes syncing was still broken.  Surely this meant that Palm had simply given up after it received the letter from the USB-IF explaining that Palm, not Apple, was in the wrong for using Apple’s USB Vendor ID.  However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

With the recent 1.2.i WebOS update, Palm fixed a lot of the bugs, including “an issue preventing media sync from working with latest version of iTunes (9.0.1).”  That’s right—Palm is still trying to get iTunes syncing to work despite Apple’s and the USB-IF’s best efforts to tell the company “no.”  The new update sets up iTunes syncing by using Apple’s USB Vendor ID, identifying itself as made by Apple, and changing the Product ID to that of the iPod with Video.  Once again, all of this makes iTunes think the Palm Pre is some sort of iPod.  This patch might be more difficult for Apple to fix, which seems to be what Palm is betting on.

Obviously, iTunes syncing is something Palm really wants, which makes sense since iTunes is such a popular music store and application (even if it is a bit bloated).  What doesn’t make sense, however, is why Palm doesn’t just make its own software to interact with iTunes, like the BlackBerry Manager does, or like any number of other applications (like MissingSync).  Perhaps Palm could even forge a partnership with DoubleTwist, a company that also seems to have it out for Apple and its iTunes empire and whom already provides its form of iTunes integration for the Palm Pre.  Fighting against Apple is a noble cause, but this on-and-off syncing can’t be great for the average consumer who wants it to just work.

Read [All Things D]
Read [Pre Central]
Image Source: Gizmodo