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Apple May Kill Pre's iTunes Sync

One of the neat features about the Palm Pre is that customers can use iTunes to transfer and manage media files. It looks like Apple is not too happy about that, and it released a veiled warning that this feature may not last long.

"Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software," Apple said in an advisory note yesterday. "However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer version of Apple's iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players."

Basically, they're saying they can break this feature any time they want with a software upgrade. There's been a lot of scuttlebutt lately about potential intellectual property issues between Palm and Apple, and I think most of it is exacerbated by the tech media because it makes for a juicy story. But this is clearly a little swipe at Palm to remind them where they stand.

"If Apple chooses to disable media sync in a future version of iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience," Palm spokesperson Lynn Fox told John Paczkowski. "However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we could consider."

It would be a rather petty move if Apple only breaks Pre connectivity, as most modern BlackBerry smartphones can also use iTunes to sync unprotected music. As much as Steve Jobs said otherwise, the DRM of iTunes songs was an amazing benefit for Apple, because it locked them into the iPod. That's not to say these music players wouldn't have been successful regardless, but that lock-in feature of the music has been a key contributor to the iPod's success. It will be interesting to see how much leeway Apple gives other device makers like Palm now that the iTunes catalog is going DRM-free.

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