Some of the early users of the Palm Pre were pretty psyched when they discovered that the Pre could sync with iTunes. When you plugged in the device, it would show up within iTunes and could be managed and synced much like an iPod or iPhone could be.

Turns out they probably should have kept their mouths shut. Apple went ahead and changed that with their last update. The latest version of iTunes does not allow the Pre to sync up with iTunes. From the looks of things, Apple decided that they didn't want the Pre to have any advantages over the iPhone and took out the sync capability.

Likely the official line was that this was not intentional, and maybe that's true. It is hard enough to maintain compatibility with one's own devices, let alone those of other hardware vendors. It's one of the reasons Apple so tightly controls its products.

Then again, the company is sort of developing a track record. Every iTunes update also manages to 'accidentally' disable or even damage iPhones which have been unlocked and outfitted with unauthorized software.

One gets the feeling that the Pre compatibility was 'accidentally' disabled in the same way that certain 'businessmen' tend to 'accidentally' trip over the sides off bridges or fall into pools of wet concrete.

16 Jul 2009