Confirmed: Palm Pre's iTunes support is very, very hacky

Careful analysis of a Pre's identity to its host system when connected via USB has now confirmed what's been suspected for a few days now -- the way it hooks to iTunes is very shady indeed. Turns out that the Pre identifies itself as an iPod when it's in Media Sync mode, but only on the system's mass storage interface; the root USB node still comes through as a Palm Pre, which Apple could easily tease out and block if it so chose. We're still up in the air on whether Cupertino would actively move to do that, but regardless, you've got to give a tip of the ol' hacker hat to Palm for its wild ways on this one.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 4:35PM]

(copied from a slashdot comment I liked)

Two points:

1) This is impossible for Apple to block. If according to USB it's an iPod, how can Apple distinguish? They can try to see if any little details are missing, but in the end any probing they do can easily be met by Palm.

Nor is it even unsafe, because the code to support older iPods is pretty stable and will not change over time - the older iPods will always be supported.

2) I'm pretty sure Apple sill not sue. What legality is there around USB identifiers? Nothing. The only hook there is the Apple string in the ID, but I don't think it's enough to put a case around. Why bother with the expense of a suit.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 5:32PM]

>If according to USB it's an iPod, how can Apple distinguish?
because the root hub still identifies as Pre.

>2) I'm pretty sure Apple sill not sue.
Not a question of whether they'll sue, but whether they'll block it.

simulating another devices VID and PID is not "shady," it's clever. Cheers to the boys in orange for figuring that little trick out. May prove useful for other devices.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 6:11PM]

reason #987213 why apple sucks: proprietary music player

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2009 7:30PM]

This is exactly what I thought when I saw the headlines like "Palm Pre works beautifully with iTunes", etc. Of course it's hackish. It's not an iPod.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:15AM]

If Apple hacks back, then Palm can just re-hack to change the root USB node to iPod with and over the air update to the Pre.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 7:37AM]

It boggles my mind that a company would put so much effort into hacking into iTunes. Why not use one of the many other music programs that actually encourage outside use. This business model that Apple has, of only Apple can use Apple, should have killed itself long ago. But there are still these idiots that will not only put up with Apple, but will put extreme amounts of work into dealing with the superficial problems Apple created for them.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:49PM]

They would do that because look at the iphone, and how many people who use it because it is so easy to use, itnues is not an impressive piece of software but it is easy to use! So why not be able to say yes it will sync with your itnues library just as easy as say an iphone, makes for a great alternative to a phone that has taken a huge market share.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 8th 2009 4:38PM]

question is... can we do this on our own with other devices?