Palm Pre Update Enables iTunes Syncing

The latest update for the Palm Pre enables syncing with iTunes after it was previously broken by the iTunes 9 update. Previously, it was predicted that this would be included in webOS 1.2 and was the reason that Palm decided to delay the update, but it was not. Not only does webOS 1.2.1, the operating system that the Pre runs on, re-enable syncing music libraries with iTunes, it also adds support for syncing photo albums from iTunes, something that was not possible before.

By doing this, Palm has ignored the USB Implementers Forum, which stated that Apple’s actions were not a breach of policy and instead inquired as to the possibility that Palm was instead breaking a policy by issuing more than one Vendor ID for the Pre.

PreCentral reports that Palm has once again made the Pre look even more like an iPod to re-enable syncing with iTunes. It explains that:

“Palm’s webOS 1.0 hack had the Pre mimic an iPod Nano. webOS 1.1 re-enabled it by setting its USB Vendor ID to Apple’s. webOS 1.2.1 re-enables it by settings its Manufacturer to Apple and also perhaps by changing the USB Product ID to the iPod Video’s”

This likely to become an ongoing fight between Apple and Palm, with Apple releasing patches that break iTunes syncing for the Pre and then Palm releasing webOS updates to circumvent those patches.

[Image from flickr.com/photos/28910861@N03]