October 5th, 2009
Dear Palm: Make you own sync software
On Saturday Palm rebuffed the USB Implementers Forum’s (USB-IF) recommendation and released WebOS 1.2.1 which restores syncing between the Pre smartphone and iTunes 9.
This whack-a-mole measure/countermeasure between Palm and Apple is a farce that needs to end.
Craig Hunter (via Daring Fireball) summarizes my opinion on the matter quite succinctly:
Clearly, other companies know how to sync painlessly with iTunes music (see RIM’s Blackberry Media Sync for example), so why doesn’t Palm develop a syncing solution for their own hardware? The exact reason is unknown, but my guess is that it’s a combination of things.
Perhaps Palm doesn’t have the resources to develop their own sync app. Or maybe they want some publicity. Or maybe they just want to push Apple’s buttons. Who really knows. But I seriously question the strategy and brains of any company that ties critical product capabilities to the unsupported use of their competitor’s software. I mean, really?
Can it get any more ridiculous? Can you possibly send a more mixed, less confidence- inspiring, “we’re a bunch of hacks who can’t provide our own sync software for our products” message to customers?
It’s time for Palm to man-up and develop its own syncing software. Besides, a lot of Windows users don’t like iTunes (or the iTunes Store for that matter) for a plethora of reasons ranging from application bloat, to the fabled iTunes walled garden.
Will the USB-IF – which oversees the USB specification and use of the USB logo - take action against Palm? Should it?
Picture: PreCentral
Jason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.
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